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Title: Her Future Decided

Inspired by: Chapter 22 of the Manga Akagami ni Shirayukihime

Character: Izana Wistalia, Zen Wistalia

Wordcount: 562

Rating: General

"Shirayuki is the girl I wish to be my consort."

Even as the words barely left his mouth, my brother's stunned face never escaped my notice.

And now he had finally admitted his intention out in the open. Shirayuki was no longer a girl he just fancies. Shirayuki had become a potential future princess. His future bride. His future wife.

For real.

Her course had been unexpectedly decided tonight.

I gave him a genuine smile.

"Well then, if you can say that sentence with such conviction, you have my blessing to go. Discrete is the name of the game." I relented.

"Brother…" The look of relief and gratefulness on his face did not even give me a moment's respite from the pain twisting my guts.

He bowed low. And just before he turned to leave, I gave him one last caution.

"If something happens to you and I have to do something about it, then that girl will never return to this castle."

Prince Zen, the second in line to the throne of Clarines, gazed back into my eye and nodded in determination. "I do not need aid if such is the condition."

He quickly left, closing the door behind him with a soft thud.

My anger burst forth. Snapping my fingers thrice, the curtains from the opened windows billowed.

"Make sure that the girl is safe. And if we are too late…" my voice cracked.

"Do we have permission to track the perpetrators?" the shadow guard asked softly.

I nodded.

"And his Highness Zen?"

"Let him do as he pleases. If the situation arises that you are forced to choose…" I let my words trail off unable to add more.

"We will bring back Prince Zen," the shadow guard confirmed. And there was a moment's silence, before the curtains billowed again.

My heart sank. His words, not mine. Two people I cared about most were in dire straits, and yet I let them both leave me.

The impromptu discussion tonight had altered three different courses, not two. Because my destiny was intertwined with them whether I liked it or not. There were so many significant things that could not be undone.

First, Shirayuki's fate continued to hang in the balance. Seeing my brother's resolve to take her as his consort made the green-eyed monster inside me rebel. Either she would be a Princess….

Or a queen. A voice inside my head whispered.

Yes, I agreed silently.

Second, Shirayuki had inadvertently given me an enemy I had least expected to get.

My brother. My rival to her heart.

And finally, should something happen to them both, I chose blood relations over heart.

Zen would always be most dear to me. I hated the fact that I was most willing to fight him when it came to the red-haired woman's attention. But when the time came that I needed to choose between Shirayuki and Zen, I would still choose Zen.

My heart felt heavy as I sank down on the button-backed sofa. The brandy I was holding in the crystal cut glass sloshed against the sides, spilling some on the carpet-covered floor.

I had yet to be crowned as King, and here I was being burdened by heavy choices.

A few days later, I received news from the shadow guard assigned to watch over Shirayuki.

Red disappeared two nights ago. The message read.

Notes:

I decided to take the initiative and alter the course of this story based on how I perceive Prince Izana feels. A few may realize how complicated a character Zen's brother is; only hints of it are sprinkled all throughout the manga. Akagami no Shirayuki is not just a shoujo manga, it has tones of reverse harem. There are a lot of people who wanted Shirayuki. While some are fairly obvious, I always liked to interpret the hidden meanings of other characters when it comes to dealing with Shirayuki. And the person with the most potential to rival Zen would be his own brother.

Future chapters may still be inspired from the manga, I am adamant to follow the course of the story as much as possible, but I still tend to explore Izana's willingness to pursue Shirayuki and how he intends to go about it. And as I have said before in the summary, the ending has strong possibilities that Zen and Shirayuki may not end together after all. Come on you guys! You already have the manga to look forward to! Allow me to indulge myself with angst please! LOL. But of course Shirayuki ending up with Izana is not hundred percent guaranteed as well. Let's see, shall we?