Yall, I know, it has been FOREVER! Well, only about two months. But like, that's a long time for an update! I apologize. I wish I could regal you with all the many adventures I've had to make these past two months feel like a whole other year in itself, but ain't nobody got time for that. Needless to say, I've been busy, and ngl, this chapter was hard to write. I couldn't think of the tone, where I wanted it to go, what exactly I wanted to happen - but! I tried to make it up to you all by making this one extra long. It's about sixteen pages? I think? A whole lotta words. Haha.

The tone in this might sound a bit different, that's because I was trying really hard to make it kinda memorable and romantic? It also could very well be the massive amounts of JAW DROPPINGLY GORGEOUS FinnPoe fanfictions I've been reading affecting me but like whatever lemme take credit hahaha.

Also small note, happy 2020! It's a freaky thought that we're in a new decade. Especially for me, as my academic days are nearly over (THANK GOD) and my life is about to turn into a whole new chapter. SO, like, crisis's asside, thank you for all your kind words, and remember, reviewwwww!

When Shirayuki opened her eyes again, she was staring down at her pod. She took a deep breath of salt water with a sigh of relief. She spun slowly, looking back at her glistening green tail, the tip of the fin just barely brushing the surface.

She jerked, and felt for the wound on her back. There was none. She had her purse strapped around herself, her knife in hand. When she dropped it curiously, it just sank. Her forearms glistened with the scaly fins that signified her use of the Aigua.

"Huh." She said softly. She looked up at the Surface, only inches from her. The surface was completely still, like a layer of glass. That almost never happened. When she reached up to poke her fingers through it, she was sucked upwards. She gasped, and her tail flicked out in alarm as she was pulled straight out from Below Surface. She now hovered over the surface, the tips of her fins only able to touch the surface if she stretched.

She kicked, and was able to push herself around. After a little bit of experimenting, she realized she could twist and turn as if she was still submerged, but she was unable to move from her spot. She huffed, and stared at the sky. The clouds were puffy and distant. The sky was that pristine, untouchable blue. Shirayuki took a heavy breath of air, expecting the acidic sting of the wrong element to remind her of her time limit. There was no such sting.

Then, she heard a loud grumble. She whirled, just in time to see a dark shape float downwards. A shape that made her throat tighten and her tail thrash in midair.

Out came a Liopleurodon, swimming freely through the air like it was a flying creature. Its face was marred with scars, and it's eyes were a burning, intelligent red. As it floated, a small chuckle broke through the air. It circled her, and Shirayuki shivered at the feel of it's rough scales against her arm.

"Well, well, well." The voice said. It was heavily accented, and Shirayuki felt a chill at knowing this was the man who was torturing Zen in his dreams. "I finally get to speak to you."

"Finally." Shirayuki agreed. "How are you here?"

The monster swam upwards, breaking through a cloud and then lowering to face Shirayuki again. "A simple spell. The Moon grows weaker with each day, with each rotation. She cannot shield you from me forever."

"No." Shirayuki nodded. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked the monster in the eye. "How did you release these creatures? The Xerturts and-" she gestured to the beast itself. "What did you do to them?"

A low hum made it sound like the sky was shaking. "I released their seal. I let them roam again. I made them numb." The monster flipped up, flying up with its back to Shirayuki. "The sea is a foolish divinity. She believes herself invincible."

Shirayuki flicked her hair out of her face. Somehow, it was floating around her head as if she was still submerged, and acting the part as well. "She should be. You are a human, yes?"

"Human." The monster rolled, its fins slowly pulling clouds around in a tight spiral. "Yes. And what a powerful thing to be."

Shirayuki took a deep breath, and finally just said; "I know your name."

The monster froze. It twisted it's head and regarded her. "My, you sound sure. How do you know?"

Shirayuki shook her head. She was under fae law to not tell, and thus she couldn't. "Why do you want Clarines to sink as well? What's your endgame?"

The monster's snout was so close to her front, Shirayuki could have reached out to touch it. He could also have snapped her in half with the crazy teeth he had. "Endgame? I want to see the royal family destroyed. It is time for a new monarchy, and I will have the power of the Sea under my command."

"With the help of the Earth." Shirayuki added on. She kept her gaze steadily on the monster's. "You'll destroy the world. The two will rip each other in half."

"You are discounting my power."

"I am not." She sneered. "Despite your magic, and your fake illusions-" she gestured to the sky around them, "you are a mere human. You belonged to the Sea once, you will return to her one day."

The Liopleurodon pushed away from Shirayuki, flying up over her head to circle slowly, like a vulture. "Brave words. Remember, though." It suddenly flipped around, getting so close into Shirayuki's face she could feel its hot breath on her cheeks. "You are human now too, hmm?"

With that, Shirayuki dropped like a stone into the sea, and sank. Deeper, and deeper, and deeper…

She jolted awake with a slight gasp. Her back arched slightly, and pain slowly wove around her mid-section in a hard reminder. With a grimace, she slowly pulled herself up against the headboard, wincing but pushing through the pain to sit up. Her hair was sticking to her forehead with sweat. Angrily, she swept it up to the best of her ability and tied it in a bun.

Nearby, she could hear the stuttered breaths of Kiki. She glanced around. It was deep night, with the only light being that of a single candle, burned almost entirely through its wick. They were in a small room, with a shaggy woven carpet facing an unlit fireplace. Outside of her blanket, the air was chilly. In a bed across the room, Kiki slept soundly, her sword over her pillow and her golden hair reflecting what little light there was.

Shirayuki felt a chill drag through her, and a bad taste in her mouth. She figured they were in a hotel of sorts, and that she really should keep sleeping. She pulled up at the slightly scratchy blanket. But her hands twitched and she sighed.

Her feet were moving before her brain, and soon enough she found herself very slowly, very carefully, touching her toes to the ground. The wood was cold, so she tossed the blanket over her head with as little movement as she could. She stood shakily after a hard breath. For a scary moment, every other blink left hazy black spots in her eyes. Her back moaned, but did not cause her to collapse. So she stumbled forward, steps hard but silent.

As she reached the door, she shakily leaned her head against it for a moment. Her stomach was churning, and she wasn't sure if she could keep walking. But then her hand found the cool doorknob, and with a push of air, she stepped into the hallway.

The hallway was alight with lamps and torches, their faint light beating at the darkness the best they could. It was a little eerie. Just a few feet away, another door sat. Shirayuki wasn't sure how she knew Zen was in there, she just did.

She took a step forward, just in time for the door to swing open.

She blinked and stepped back, as a groggy looking Zen blinked up at her in surprise.

The Second Prince's long and unruly hair was the messiest she'd ever seen it. His white tank top dangled loosely over his figure, and he was barefoot. His blue eyes were foggy with sleep, though they were quickly wakening at the sight of her.

Shirayuki's heart did a weird little double tap. For a moment they stared at each other, filling the hallway with almost nothing at all.

Then Zen unfroze and closed the door behind him, looking at her with concern. "What are you doing up? You should be resting." His voice was raspy with sleepy and a soft whisper.

Shirayuki bit her cheek, hard, to try and get some thoughts to form. "I-I don't know. I had a dream."

Zen pursed his lips, and Shirayuki's eyes watched the motion.

Footsteps interrupted whatever the heck was happening, and Zen turned. Gently, he grabbed Shirayuki's arms and pulled her to the side of the hallway, the man walking briskly past them without even at a glance.

"Why don't we go to the balcony?" Zen offered, gently pushing her back a little. But as he turned to smile at her, his hand dragged down the skin of her arm until he clasped her palm into his.

Shirayuki smiled softly. "Okay." She murmured.

The walk was a little treacherous, as she couldn't move too quickly and not without a lot of stumbles. Zen was patient, and soft with her. He led her to the end of the hallway, where a door opened to a small patio, overlooking a small village. Beyond the houses, a sea of trees blocked the way to the rising swell of a mountain.

Shirayuki caught her breath, both from the sudden cold air and the brilliant night sky.

Zen pulled two wicker chairs from around a table and placed them next to each other. He helped Shirayuki slowly sit, holding tight to her arms and wincing with her as her back bent. Then he took the seat next to her, and stared out over the lands below.

While the view was new, and something she had never dreamed of, she instead found her gaze being drawn to Zen instead.

His white hair glowed under the moonlight, the stars pinning the sky up around him. His blue eyes were thoughtful, and he looked a little tired.

Shirayuki caught her breath and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Tell me about this dream." Zen offered, his voice somehow not disturbing the silence around them.

Shirayuki lifted her shoulder. "The man who's doing…this, who started this avalanche. He talked to me."

"What did he say?"

"The usual. Threats of destroying the Sea and Clarines. More confirmation that our enemy is the Earth."

"And you're sure his name is Touka Bergatt?"

Shirayuki turned to look at Zen. He was watching her intently, eyes intense and thinking hard. "I'm positive. I didn't tell him that we knew his name though."

"He still knows we're coming." Zen sighed and shifted, leaning on the armrest in his chair heavily. "I thought political tensions were high enough already."

"Have you ever met him before?" Shirayuki asked. "Before…" She gestured to herself helplessly. "All of this?"

Zen nodded. "Twice before. The first time, he was so young – his father had just suddenly passed, and there was something in his eyes…" Zen sighed. "Then the second time, he seemed so much more wicked. But he was a crowd pleaser. He said what he thought we needed to hear, and even after we told him we knew the truth, he apologized and admitted his deeds."

"What do you mean?"

Zen let out a hum. "He was charged with attempted assault. My brother and I had him thrown to our feet, and even with us right there, he escaped jailtime and remained in power. I couldn't stop him from being acquitted, even with-" Zen shook his head helplessly. "My brother has been trying to tear him down for years now, but he's warned me again and again to stay away from the Bergatts."

Shirayuki hummed. Her midsection ached, like there was a dull candle fire where she had been hit. She rested her arm around herself softly. "And now we're about to go into their territory."

"The game plan is for me to first try and talk to Izana. Try to get him to tell me what he knows of the case, what he has found and what he hasn't. Then, we're going up there." He gave a small smile to Shirayuki. "The Bergatt household is deep mountain terrain. It's cold there in the summer seasons, but in the depths of winter, it will be disgustingly cold. You have been warned."

Shirayuki shrugged. "I've dived the depths of the sea before, I'm sure it will be fine."

"Famous last words." Zen snorted. He readjusted and sat properly with a small stretch that lifted his shirt and exposed his midriff for a moment. Shirayuki stared at it, then ripped her gaze away quickly. "You really should get back to sleep. You need a lot of rest."

"How long have I even been out?"

Zen shrugged. "About two days? You had a few moments of up and down. You were awake when I carried you into the hotel. Do you not remember?"

Shirayuki shook her head, trying to beat back a blush. "I wasn't talking crazy, was I?"

"No, why would you be?"

She glared at him. "Because you sang a Siren song at me. They have side effects."

Zen blinked. "You're still mad about that? I don't see the issue. It healed you, and the Moon said you would need it."

Shirayuki rolled her eyes. "She meant a normal healing song, not a Siren's."

"I really don't see what's so bad."

"You nearly collapsed after trying to sing a single verse from the song. If you finished the song, you could have gotten yourself sicker than me." She huffed.

Zen lifted his hands in a signal of surrender. "Okay, okay. But I'm not apologizing."

Shirayuki opened her mouth to snap at him, but he cut her off.

"I would do it again, easily, happily. I would sing the song until I withered into nothing for you, got it?" He glared at her, blue eyes alight with challenge and something soft underneath all of the tension.

Shirayuki's own voice faltered, and she found she had nothing to say under his gaze.

He looked away with a sigh, and ran his hand through his hair. They both stared back out the landscape surrounding them. The mountain loomed like a darkness in the night sky. Shirayuki found it a little intimidating, and while she wasn't scared of the cold, she wasn't sure how she would react to heights quite yet.

"The castle is only a day's trip away. Me and you are going to be sneaking in under the floorboards to the caravan." Zen finally spoke.

Shirayuki blinked. "How in the Sea will we fit?"

"It'll be tight." Zen admitted. "Noe really comfortable, but it's just until we can get past the guards."

"Why can't we just go in normally?" Shirayuki blinked. "You're the Prince of this Kingdom, surely you could-"

"I can't. I've been missing for weeks, I can't just show up to the doorstep without there being a huge fuss. I just want to get to my room and see my brother before anyone else knows I'm there."

Shirayuki nodded. "Okay." She braced herself against the sudden flicker of pain in her abdomen. "Make sure I'm awake for the under the floorboards part."

Zen nodded. They fell into silence again.

Shirayuki looked up. She couldn't see the moon in the millions of stars , in this blanket of the universe sitting above them like it was nothing. "Have you heard from the Moon tonight?"

Zen glanced at her, then looked up. "Not tonight."

"She's getting weaker. On the night of the New Moon, we will be without protection." Shirayuki curled her fingers around the blanket, getting a little chilled in the night air. "What powers can the Earth force on us?"

Zen swallowed loudly enough that Shirayuki could hear it. "I-I don't know. I'm worried that it'll be something horrible. An earthquake, or…" Zen simply shook his head. "I can't think about it."

Shirayuki looked up. "If only we could travel by air."

Zen blinked, then straightened. He turned to her with a smile. "Have you ever heard of a hot air balloon?"

Shirayuki stared at him. "I have heard the word hot, and the word air. What's a balloon?"

Zen grinned. "Oh man, when we get back to the castle-" He cleared his throat. "You can fly with a hot air balloon. Balloon's lift into the air with an air lighter than oxygen. We've been able to be lifted by them before." Then he deflated. "But we can't stay there for the whole twenty four hours the Moon won't be here. They aren't designed to last more than a few hours at a time."

"Oh." Shirayuki blinked, trying to wrap her head around the concept. There was Below Surface, and Above Surface. She never considered a third option. "We'll figure something out. Maybe she'll tell us."

Zen looked unconvinced, but nodded. "Maybe."

Shirayuki let out a breath – a little huff of annoyance, after her midriff flared with a flicker of the candle of pain.

Zen looked down at her midriff, noticing her hand. He frowned, his forehead creasing. "Let's get you back to bed."

Shirayuki sighed, but didn't protest as he stood and moved to help her stand. She stumbled slightly and landed against his chest with a sudden gasp of pain.

"Whoa, whoa." He eased, rubbing her arm. "Easy there, easy." He pushed her up to her own feet again, then ducked so she could throw her arm around his neck. She tried not to think about the soft curls pinned against her arm on the back of his neck.

Zen reached around her to catch the slipping blanket from her other shoulder. He grinned at her, and with a goofy noise he tossed it over her head, blinding her.

"Hey!" She complained with a chuckle, ripping the blanket off her head and pulling her hair in front of her face in the process.

Zen laughed, but brushed her hair back for her and tossed the blanket over her shoulders. "Ready?"

Shirayuki nodded. Carefully, they stumbled in a weird waddle back into the hallway. As soon as Zen closed the door, Shirayuki shivered at the more pressurized silence, and the difference in temperature. Zen led her to her door, and she pulled her arm off of him as she grabbed the doorknob. She looked up into his gaze. "Thank you." She whispered.

He nodded. "Sleep well." Then, the Prince did something strange. He moved slowly, and a little jerkily, as if under a siren's spell. His lips just barely touched her hairline, lower lip on skin, upper against her hair. Shirayuki blinked, and his lips were gone again. Without looking at her, he turned and marched hurriedly into his own room.

Shirayuki just stood there, stunned. She looked after him, towards the door, but it was closed again. As if it had never been opened.

She turned back into her own room, and carefully opened it. Kiki mumbled but did not wake as she then closed it, and fumbled into her bed.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin as she settled, her side giving fresh new waves of pain from the movement. Her mind should have been whirling with thoughts of Touka, the Bergatt house, and the coming days in the castle.

Instead, she thought about the times Zen kissed her. They had kissed on the lips a good amount now, and had a fake kiss that she was having a hard time misremembering. Why did this one feel like so much more?

Eventually, just as she convinced herself that there had been something to this night to add weight where there was none, her conscious slipped away into the blissful ignorance of sleep.

As the castle loomed into view, Zen got one good glance at the gleaming white walls, the colored spirals and the thick fortress walls, before he was quickly and literally shoved into a box.

He opened the secret hatch in the floorboards, tucked just behind the driver's seat and with a strange L shape to hide under the driver's feet. It was supposed to be able to sit upright in it, but they had found through trial and error that this was impossible due to the thumping of the carts. In preparation for Shirayuki and her wound, he had tossed as many pillows he could without it getting too suffocating in there.

Shirayuki sat down, sticking her feet through the hole. She grimaced and looked at Zen. "And you're sure we can't just walk in?"

Zen huffed a laugh. "I wish." He leaned over and helped Shirayuki slowly slip in. She curled on her side and shuffled out of his view.

Kiki stuck her head back through to laugh at them. "Good luck."

Mitsuhide's muffled; "Have fun," came through as well.

"Shut up." Zen groaned. "Let us suffer in peace."

Kiki grinned and disappeared again. Zen dropped down into the hole, grabbing the boards and pulling them into place as he knelt. He shifted them until they locked, and gave a test thump against it to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.

"This is cozy." Shirayuki mumbled, barely audible.

Zen chuckled and tried to lie down. It wasn't pitch black, thankfully. The light came in stunted slants, reflecting only small parts. Shirayuki's one eye, bits of her red hair, the pillow clutched in front of her to support her injured midsection, her top lip, her shoulder, and bits of her boots. She had pressed herself as up against the wall as she could, and Zen would still probably be nose to nose with her.

He swallowed, and lied down. The light settled around them and the carriage rolled along. The bumps were felt so much easier, and there wasn't much that could be said over the rumble of the wheels. Zen's legs were right up against Shirayuki's. If they breathed through their mouths, their breaths would touch.

Zen blinked at Shirayuki apologetically.

She lifted her one shoulder in a shrug. They could hear the plod of the four horses' hooves marching on. River and Thunder were still not pleased to be walking alongside the cabin, and such had become a little nippy and sassy with Zen and Shirayuki. It would be a relief for them to be stalled, and rest in pastures away from the large wagon. Both horses were owed a good gallop.

Shirayuki shifted slightly.

Zen mouthed; Are you alright?

Shirayuki gave a grimace but nodded once. Uncomfortable. I'll be fine.

Zen nodded with a sympathetic wince. He hated hiding under the floorboards. Yes, it had saved his life multiple times. Yes, it was genius and yet to be discovered. Yes, it was letting him get very close to a beautiful mermaid. Didn't mean he had to like being shoved into a small, cramped space for hours at a time. Thankfully this time should only be about half an hour.

They hit a particularly hard bump, and Shirayuki clutched the pillows while Zen's head bashed into the floor. He groaned and rubbed it. Never mind. No matter how long, this was definitely a punishment.

Shirayuki's hand brushed over his cheek. He opened his eyes to see her green eyes wide with worry.

He smiled and squeezed her fingers. I'm okay. He mouthed.

Shirayuki nodded. Me too.

Good. He reached over and poked her in the nose, making her crinkle her face. She scowled at him, and it was a good enough sight to make him almost forget the thump.

The gate check went smoothly. Zen put his hand in Shirayuki's as they heard the footsteps of the soldiers, checking the inside of the caravan to be sure there was no nefarious scheming devices planted in the carriage. A routine check for entering the palace. When Zen was younger, he used to love the thrill of being hidden in plain sight. He would have to bite back on a giggle. This time, however, he saw Shirayuki looked a little scared, so he squeezed her palm reassuringly as the knights mumbled to each other.

He recognized the voices, two of the oldest and most dedicated knights in the palace. Their voices pulled on his heart a little, and he wished he could give them hugs. They had watched him grow from child to adult, and he knew they must have been worried for him.

The check took less time than usual, definitely because it was Mitsuhide and Kiki heading the carriage, and both of them were very trusted in the palace. Before Zen could count to thirty, the carriage rumbled through the gates.

Zen took a deep breath and let go of Shirayuki's hand.

In the ten minutes it took to park the caravan, Zen tried to avoid thinking too hard about his homecoming was going to be, and thinking how he was going to explain himself to Izana. Never mind what he would tell his people. Instead, he stared at Shirayuki. Her green eyes were trusting if not wide, and he could tell she was listening intently to the world outside the caravan.

Finally, Mitsuhide pulled the cover off of the compartment, and with a grin, reached his hand down for Zen.

Zen groaned as he was hefted back to his feet. He felt sore from cramping up for so long, and trying to stand straight was like trying to learn how to swim with a tail. "I forgot how tiny that thing is." He muttered.

Mitsuhide snickered and much more carefully reached down for Shirayuki. Zen forgot his own discomfort into helping his friend, careful of her very fresh wound. She grimaced but stayed quiet and didn't complain as Zen tossed her shawl around her.

Kiki handed Zen his, and Shirayuki and Zen bundled like they had on their first few days on land. Exiting the caravan, Zen stepped down into the freshly swept stable floor. He breathed in the smell of fresh hay, and turned to Thunder before he could get too excited.

They got River and Thunder freshly stalled, and Kiki took the caravan to unpack it and rest it with the others. Mitsuhide and Zen led Shirayuki through the castle's secret entrance ways and passages. As they walked up a very tight, small circle staircase, a small window gave away the fresh darkness of the night.

Just as Shirayuki began to really feel her wound, her face pinching in concentration, her mouth pursed, sweat rolling from her forehead, Mitsuhide flipped open the secret hatch and helped Shirayuki slip up into Zen's bedroom.

As soon as the Prince was up, he stifled sudden tears at the smell of his own room. He turned to look at Mitsuhide, who stood in the staircase. "I'm going to join Kiki for the night in making our official report and getting Izana alone to meet you."

"Great." Zen nodded. "I'm going to get Shirayuki settled for the night, and I'll join you in my brother's room in a moment."

Mitsuhide nodded briskly, then smiled warmly at Shirayuki. "Sleep well, I'm sorry the travels were uncomfortable."

Shirayuki rubbed her nose, flicking off her hood to reveal her mesmerizing red hair. "It was only bad at the end." She smiled. "Have you ever had to smell his breath for half an hour straight? Disgusting."

Zen scoffed and nudged her. "Your breath didn't smell much better, you know."

Mitsuhide chuckled. "See you soon." He lowered himself, closing the hatch until it was invisible against the cement tiles once again. Zen turned to watch Shirayuki as she slowly turned around, taking in his room. They had entered into his common area – a massive room with a wall of books and a desk sitting in front of a large window with a balcony. He had two couches facing each other with a small tea table between them. It was ridiculously luxurious, and as always, Zen felt himself flush with embarrassment.

To the left of them, his bedroom was closed off by a heavy blue curtain. Zen tried to shake away his blush. "You can have my bed." He offered.

Shirayuki smiled at him softly. "That's alright. This couch," she gestured to the bigger of the two, "is big enough to fit two people easily."

Zen hummed. "But it'll be comfier on the mattress for you."

Shirayuki shook her head. "I'll be fine." She moved to the couch and placed down her bag, sitting down carefully next to it. "Besides, I need to change and so do you." She nodded towards the curtain. "So please leave."

He rolled his eyes at her but bowed teasingly, making her giggle, before marching to his room. He flicked open the curtain and took a deep, hiccup of a breath. As he tried to move to his dresser like it was normal, as he tried to look at his neatly made bed like it was normal – the world had changed. It had flipped over and dumped him into another universe, and then reversed and returned him. How could nothing have changed, when everything had?

The Prince pulled off his cloak and stored it under his bed neatly. He changed into his royal attire, frowning at how it was just a little bit looser around his midsection. He hadn't really realized how much tighter his core had gotten since his time with a tail. His skin chafed at the same uncomfortable spots, around where he had to tuck the pants into his boots, against his left collarbone where the lapel rested, on the seam resting in his armpit. He adjusted the button down and flicked up the collar. He grasped the white cape resting on the back of his one reading chair, and stopped for a moment.

The fabric was soft silk, pure white, glittering with golden threaded bits. His two pins gleamed, freshly polished for his return. He bit his lip, looking up at himself. After weeks in regular commoner clothing, the idea of putting on the cape he had always worn – of the cape he wore before he had learned, was almost sickening.

But as always, he pushed the feelings down and threw it over his shoulders. He clipped it onto his front, and finally reached for a small comb. He brushed through his hair, scowling at the length. Thankfully, the moon's markings were covered by the shirt and cape, and did not glow indoors – his hair length alone would be enough to make Izana kill him on sight.

Even though he wasn't used to dealing with his hair being so long and curly, he swept it to the side and to the best of his ability and tried to make it as regal as possible. Of course, it was still curly and too long to really be truly tamable, but he swallowed and held his chin up.

He paused at the curtain. "Are you decent?" He called to Shirayuki.

"Yes." She responded.

He pushed through the curtain and suddenly tensed.

She was wearing a nightgown, her legs bare and she had thrown all of her hair over her shoulder, desperately brushing through it with a grimace. She glanced at him, and Zen felt his heart drop into his feet.

Her green eyes were tightened, and she stiffed just slightly.

Oh, man. Zen felt like a fool. Shirayuki hated the royal family of Wisteria, she hated Clarines. Zen's ancestors had nearly wiped out her entire race. Now here he was, standing before her in the royal attire of the Prince, wearing all of his flags colors shamelessly. Zen's heart thudded in his chest in fear, that she would begin hating him again. He remembered how cold she was to him when they had first met, and even on that first day when he lost his legs. His toes turned to ice in his boots.

Instead, she just looked back at her hair. "How late will you be?"

"Uh." Zen stated. He shook himself, immediately ruining his haphazard hair styling. "I'm not sure. Knowing my brother, no longer than an hour."

Shirayuki nodded and gestured to the couch. "Can you grab me some blankets and extra pillows?"

"O-Of course." Zen felt like hitting himself. He marched back into his room and opened the closet, grabbing as many thick duvets and pillows he could. With his arms full, he marched back into the room and dropped them heavily on the end of the couch. He looked to his left and found Shirayuki meeting his eyes.

"You look different." She said.

The hair on Zen's arms stood up, and his hands went clammy. He straightened. "I know." The mermaid twisted her mouth. She studied him. "You look ten times more on edge."

He scoffed slightly. He just shook his head and lifted his shoulders, not sure how to respond.

Shirayuki hummed and helped him spread out the blankets, gathering pillows and such to adjust to the couch. "Good luck with your brother." She whispered.

Zen smiled tightly. "Thank you. I'll be back soon. Kiki will come visit you in a little. Don't try to move too much."

Shirayuki rolled her eyes. "Yes, Your Highness."

Her tone was mocking, but it still made Zen feel sick to his stomach. He nodded at her, then turned and opened the hatch in the floor. He didn't glance back at Shirayuki as he descended again.

Mitsuhide and Kiki entered his brother's room. They bowed, standing at attention, back in their royal guard wear.

Zen waited with baited breath for the door to close behind them.

"Okay." His brother's voice rang out.

Zen opened the curtain and stepped out from the hidden nook, normally used by his brother for spying. He kept his eyes on the ground as he moved in front of his brother, until the tips of his steel-toed boots came into his line of sight. Then he knelt, pressing his fist the ground and bowing deeply. "Lord Brother." Thankfully, his voice came out steady.

Izana took a deep breath. "Rise."

Zen took a moment, then stood. He met his brother's blue eyes gravely, so much like their mother's.

Izana's face was neutral – unimpressed. His long hair was the same, tied in the same sort of pony, and he wore an underdressed version of his royal garb. Purple overcoat, unbuttoned to show the ruffles of his white shirt. Tight blank pants, and no royal jewelry marking him. Nonetheless, Izana exuded the same sort of cold power Zen was used to. He couldn't help but think about Shirayuki, and what she would think of Izana. The First Prince was leaning against his desk, but when Zen met his eyes, he stood straight.

Zen braced himself as Izana walked the few steps forward towards him. Then his eyes went wide as his brother's arms wrapped around his shoulders. Before Zen could do more than register the word hug, Izana stepped back and put his hand heavily on Zen's shoulder.

Izana's eyes were hard. "You worried Mother."

Zen let out a shaky breath. "I-I know."

"I expect a fully fleshed out report on what happened by tomorrow morning. Right now, I'm tired, and your hair is disgustingly long." Izana dismissed Zen that easily. He turned and walked off. "Goodnight. Do try not to not get kidnaped again, Brother." He cast one last smirk at Zen as he opened the door. "Welcome home."

Then the door shut, slamming loud enough to make Zen jump slightly.

He spun on his heel to face Mitsuhide and Kiki. Kiki looked amused, Mitsuhide just shrugged. Zen tasted his mouth, then said; "well, he hugged me, so I guess he's glad I'm alright?"

Kiki nodded thoughtfully. "He's a strange one, for sure."

Mitsuhide broke into a grin. "Nothing's changed."

Everything's changed, Mitsuhide. Zen thought. But he just nodded along. He straightened. "I want to go see my mom."

"She's out in the cabin." Kiki nodded.

"That works. I owe Thunder a gallop anyways." Zen marched over to his guards. "Kiki, can you stay behind and make sure Shirayuki's okay? I don't want to come back to her bleeding out or something because she tried to get food or something."

Kiki nodded. "Easy enough."

"I'll come with you, then?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Up until we get there." Zen agreed. He shrugged off his cape, handing it to Kiki with a grateful glance.

"What will you tell her?" Kiki asked.

Zen took a deep breath. "Everything."