One day, Shirayuki had run away from a prince to avoid becoming his concubine, and when she did, she stumbled into a friendship with a man that she didn't realize was the prince of a neighboring kingdom. This man is honest and genuine and a bit goofy.

He feels like home, in a way that's hard to define, because before fleeing Tanbarun, she'd never been to Clarines, and before meeting Zen, she hadn't really felt any longing to move to the country next door and find a home in a palace that she'd never expected to feel at home at, and she'd never expected for a garden to be the place for a confession, for a few kisses, for a place to walk around and remember.

It is here in Clarines, that Shirayuki feels the most at home, and it is because it is here where Zen's hand can slip into hers, and he can say something that makes her laugh. It is here that they can walk the gardens and reminisce; it is here that they chase a future that Shirayuki never would have picked out for herself before.

And Shirayuki's at home, enough so that her chest fills with warmth around him, enough so that she can't help but smile when he comes near. It is here, that she feels understood and appreciated. And maybe she doesn't make the best decisions all the time, but Zen's there to catch her when she does stumble.

It is Zen who saves her from Mihaya when a trip to gather herbs takes longer than a couple hours, and it is Zen who gives her encouragement and hope before she takes her herbalist exam and passes. And it is Zen who helps to care for the plants, following her instructions, and trusting her completely with them.

Shirayuki lacks the words to explain just how much she loves him and how much she feels loved in return. She's grateful that Zen slipped so easily into her life like the turning of a page, just to find a plot twist on the next one. It is easy and almost effortless the way that he slipped into her life and left it a little bit brighter.

She's grateful and perhaps that word isn't enough, but she hopes that it spills her love like ink on a page, until it fills the room so obviously that Zen can read it too, and that they both know just how much this gratitude and love rings true.

Shirayuki's discovered a new direction for her life, and she's found it by Zen's side.