Her father's not the type of man to belong in a castle, and he stands out around here. Surrounded by people with badges and uniforms, formal clothing, and official positions, he's wearing casual clothes, and despite everything, still manages to look like the Mountain Lion's leader.
She has to do a double take, in between making medicine, as she looks up and sees her father, dark red hair and an awkward seeming grin. They hadn't seen each other much since they were finally reunited, but this is the first time Shirayuki's ever seen Mukaze visit the castle.
"Hi there." It comes out a bit awkward, like he's just as unsure of what to say as she is, as if he feels as out of place as he looks.
"Hi." Shirayuki replies, "Please sit down. I'm almost done here."
Ryuu offhandedly waves his permission, as engrossed as he is, a sort of confirmation that Shirayuki can head off with her father as soon as she finishes up.
"You're doing good." Mukaze tells her when it goes silent, "You've always loved stuff like this, haven't you?"
Shirayuki felt a tiny smile slip onto her face; her father must have heard something from her grandparents when they were alive, of how much she wanted to be an herbalist, of the books she was already beginning to read back then, of her loving to gather plants and bring them back and began to make medicine. Or perhaps he held onto even earlier memories of her own life, than she could recall.
It's moments like these that remind her that her father is definitely her father, not just a man she always longed to meet and get to know better, but a man that was there for her earliest moments, memories that don't come to mind, and who knew her grandparents well enough to keep in touch.
"I think so." Shirayuki says instead, as she finally finishes up and cleans off her work space. It's a different kind of day, a sort of new beginning, and besides, she has a whole castle to tour her father through, and they certainly have enough years to catch up on to make the whole walk interesting.