TWENTY-FOUR – Her

21 Days Until The Wedding

Be strong.

Be strong.

Be strong.

"Obi!" The apple-haired herbalist dashed down to the platform of gray bricks before her boots finally touched the dirt path. Shirayuki could feel her heart hammering her chest for oxygen, but she was too preoccupied in seeing her knight by his ride. She could feel her petite hands tremble as she slowly walked up to the tall man and let out a heavy, painful sigh. "I thought you… already left…"

"I'm still here, Miss," Obi began quietly, looking down at the girl with awe as she attempted to catch her breath. Shirayuki looked down to her dirty, hazel boots, noticing the specs of dust she managed to collect from her run. "Are you okay?"

"I was just… scared I missed… you…" Shirayuki continued gasping for air, feeling her lungs swell with the desire for oxygen. Obi looked at her with concern, but happily. She saw this in his yellow dollops of eyes and found herself happy even though this day was deemed to make her woeful. "But, luckily… I didn't."

"I'm right here," Obi assured, having her tilt her head up to see the man before her. He spoke truth, seeing him in his nice, ivory-black attire with his cat-like eyes and genuine smile. The scar on his forehead still remained and he was staring right down at the young herbalist. Oh how content she felt that he still lingered just a while longer for her to deliver the package. "Were you to be late, Little Miss?"

"I thought I was!" Shirayuki exclaimed, breathing harshly through her nose in deep desperation. "Garak took a while writing the note for you as she got drunk soon after you left."

"But it was still the morning," Obi pointed out. "Why would she be drinking at such an early time?" Shirayuki raised an eyebrow indicating how normal that was and Obi couldn't help but chuckle. Shirayuki loved that about Obi. Those random small laughs of his that are so short but ever so sweet when heard. It was also the cute little snort he'd do along with the brief snicker.

Then, it finally happened. Obi's laughter quickly ceased and his amber eyes locked into the emerald ones. The dollops of honey that Shirayuki adores so much were pleasuring her greatly with the intense stare. She could stare into those eyes forever—but a few mere seconds were enough to forget her surroundings. She'll become obsessed at some point, finding it to be her new alcohol that she'd have the pleasure of getting intoxicated from.

If only I could just get on my toes and just give him a simple peck…

"O-oh!" Shirayuki broke the stare from the thought conjured by her brain. She'd scold it if it wasn't her own, but this is nonetheless her mind and she can't blame it. Pink tinted her upper cheeks as she lifted the pouch between her and her knight and closed her eyes. "Th-this is the medicine and the n-note-!"

Obi took it graciously, having Shirayuki flush her cheeks from that mere notion and her thoughts. These sudden new urges of intimacy with Obi have been occurring more often than Shirayuki had planned. She knew as fact that she grew feelings for the knight just a bit ago, but she hadn't figured it'd be to this extent. And she was scared that these feelings were partially brewed from desperation after her unasked break up with Zen. She wanted these feelings to be solely because of Obi and how amazing he is as a person.

"Thank you, Mistress," Obi said warmly, giving her a small smile. Shirayuki could feel her heart skipping beats as his amber eyes relaxed and glimmered at the sight of her. He then brought his free hand up to her hair, making the hair ornament jingle. The petite, orange bell with a pink flower made such kind noises as the white thread hung from it danced. "You're wearing it today…"

"I actually want you to take it," Shirayuki began quietly, bringing one hand up to cup his while the other slipped the hair ornament out. She grabbed his hand and lowered it, slowly bringing the other hand to press his own, the hair ornament now between them. She tilted his hand up and allowed the ornament to sit on his hand as she curled his fingers to close his hand. The view of the ornament was now gone, but Shirayuki's eyes remained on his hand for safety from Obi's expression. "To remember that I'm still there with you…"

Shirayuki listened to the man snort before he suddenly grabbed her into his arms.

She heard the flinching of gear from the Prince and the 2 aides behind him, but she couldn't be bothered. Her brain was being taunted by the loudness of her beating heart as her face soon dug into the boys' chest. She turned her head so her ear was pressed to listen to his own. She felt the smallest thuds upon her cheek, figuring immediately that Obi's heart was racing as well. But he held her tightly, an influx of warmth and sparks crawling all around her body.

"I don't need a physical item to know what's engraved in my heart." Shirayuki widened her eyes from his statement that she's applied to herself. But it was evident these two were immensely stubborn. "But I'll take this with me and give it back when I return, Miss. I promise."

"Even if you don't return it, make sure you return to me, okay?" Shirayuki whispered, having Obi pull her back and give her a firm nod. She smiled widely at this, anticipation for his return bursting all over her body. "Goodbye, Obi."

"Don't say it like I'll never see you again," Obi began quietly, shocking the red-haired girl with his falter and pain smearing in his eyes for a brief moment. He then looked up again, his signature smirk painted on his chapped, pale lips. "I'll be seeing you, Miss." Shirayuki giggled at this, watching as he let go of her shoulders and turned to the horse. With the boost of the saddles stirrup, Obi hoisted himself on the horse with both legs by its sides. He tied the bag provided by Shirayuki where the other bag was and made sure the knot was tight. He then took the halter from the guard before the horse, silently dismissing him as Obi looked back and stared at Shirayuki.

"I'll be seeing you, Obi," Shirayuki said quietly, giving him one last smile to cherish. Obi returned the smile, seeing his face glow up just staring at hers. With a nod to her, Prince Zen, and the two aides, Obi quickly whipped the halter with both hands. The horse quickly began to gallop away from the castle, seeing dirt swirl up into dusty tornados as Obi gradually began to disappear from view.

That's it then, huh? Shirayuki watched silently as the clinking of the horse's shoes were sounding distant and Obi's silhouette was fading. She hadn't cared for the royals and the assistants staring at her from behind; her heart already longed for Obi's return. She couldn't wait to see Obi again, she could feel her stomach bubble just by the thought of his return. She would have liked to linger longer in staring at the boy who was no longer in sight, but one of the royal bloods wanted to tamper with her.

"Shirayuki." The apple-haired girl turned around from the sound of the King's voice. Her emerald eyes dimmed, looking up at the blonde up above on the small bridge of the castle. He was sat on one of the cut pillars, his azure eyes menacing as he gave her an evil-like smirk. "Come to my quarters, would you?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

Shirayuki clenched her petite hands to fists as she slowly began walking back to the castle. But she was quick to open them up to hold her hands in front of her lower belly. Shirayuki walked proudly back, her eyes darting to meet with Mitsuhide's, Kiki's, and Zen's. She gave them a firm nod before calmly walking back into the castle. Once she was in and out of view of the people outside, she let out a sigh and a small, bitter giggle.

Shirayuki figured she was going to be in a rough spot without Obi, but she never imagined it would happen so soon.

"So I see you've confided greatly with your personal knight and my younger brothers' personal assistant." Izana speaks with such fire on his tongue. Shirayuki was shocked it hadn't seared out of his mouth just yet. "You've chosen a great decision for yourself."

"Thank you, Majesty Izana," Shirayuki said simply.

The two were stood dead center of Izana's office. It was a rather vacant room, anyone would admit. The white walls, ivory to be exact, were solely ornate with mere streaks of polished wood and banners of the kingdom. The banners, though not as bright as Shirayuki's hair, were a fine color of red with ochre finishing the borders of the very banners. And then, the only thing sat on the dark wood was Izana's very desk and bookshelves that held titles from all over the world with several different languages in them.

"You have also done our kingdom a great deal," Izana began, having Shirayuki not surprised by his words. It was clear as day that Izana wanted no peasant to even dare be in such high regard from a Prince, let alone be associated with one. It was obvious he wanted Shirayuki as far away from the throne as possible. "You have shown my brother how to become stronger, and for that I am forever in your debt. He has grown so quickly that I am no longer in fear that he'll rule improperly someday."

"That's good," Shirayuki replied quietly. "I'm glad I was able to be of benefit for Clarines."

"But now he's found valuable blood, which does a great service for our kingdom," Izana began, having Shirayuki almost wince at his words. She knew he only aimed to intimidate, but getting hurt was a choice she had to make. And if she's being honest to herself: it hurt very much. "Princess Elizabeth is quite the catch, no?"

"She's a very kind Princess, Your Majesty," Shirayuki replied, truthfully though the words burned her throat. "I wait to see her do fantastic things for this country with Prince Zen by her side."

"I can't agree more," Izana said simply, nodding before walking over to his desk and taking himself a seat on it. Shirayuki forced her emerald eyes to cooperate, forcing the green orbs up to continue meeting the pair of azure eyes. She watched as he folded his legs and used his hands to lean back without falling. "Now then, what would you like?"

"Pardon?" Shirayuki questioned, raising her eyebrow in pure oblivion to the King's words.

"What would you like for doing the kingdom such a service?" Izana repeated with a smile that was obviously forced. He was attempting to be genuine. "You helped Zen grow and become strong, which was my point in announcing that I was forever in your debt."

Shirayuki couldn't believe this man. She respected him greatly, after listening to all the stories of him doing what's best for the kingdom and how he's helped other lands flourish while under his reign. And it was obvious that he loved his younger brother more than anything. But to think that he has yet to pick up how Shirayuki is was beyond her. He hadn't taken the time to know her, but she figured that his high observant being would catch on sooner or later.

"I'm honored, Your Majesty," Shirayuki began quietly, nerves quickly seeping out of her system. "But a thank you is more than enough for me. Aside from your blessing, it is something I've yearned for since I've met you. All I wanted to do was to prove that I could be of use to this kingdom and this land I love so much. I am happy that I helped Prince Zen in a vital way, so that does suffice for me."

Izana studied the girl for a brief moment before closing his eyes, a warm smile crawling along his lips.

"I would've been able to tolerate it if Zen had actually gone through with his plan to marry you," Izana pointed out calmly. Shirayuki's eyes widened at the man's words, unsure as to how to take it. All she knew was that her breath was taken and her brain was stabbing heart with feelings she didn't want to deal with. "But this was truthfully the better path. For Zen and for you, Shirayuki."

Shirayuki forced herself so hard not to cry at that very moment. How does one sound like they'd give their blessing but completely not want to at the same time? King Izana can be intimidating at times, but he sure can bring a deal of pain by building one up only to break them down in the span of a few seconds. She doesn't know what to feel exactly, but she now knew that she can no longer take this path properly. Not remaining there, in the castle right by the boy who told her such hopeful words.

Hopeful words that led him to victory and her to her demise.

"You're probably right, Your Highness," Shirayuki muttered, shooting a small smile at the King as she stared attentively. "Zen said so himself. 'Color has meaning, and red is supposed to represent fate.' And maybe, this is what fate has brought to us."

Izana could only nod in agreement while Shirayuki forced herself to swallow her impatience.

"Ryu, I want to fix my face!" When Shirayuki had announced this, the young boy couldn't help but express his confusion with a puzzled stare.

Shirayuki had decided that right after her talk with Izana to fix herself. She was no longer going to cry over Zen. Rather, she was going to take this heartbreak and transform it for her benefit. She wants to grow and continue living her life. She doesn't want to be stuck at a blockade formed by her feelings. She wants to move forward with new feelings and a new heart along her side.

"I can definitely help brew up medicine to relax the puffy eyes and the bloating, if that's what you mean," Ryu began quietly, having Shirayuki smile widely as she fully entered their quarters and went to tamper at her table. "Obi has already left, I assume?"

"Ah, yes!" Shirayuki realized she went straight to Izana's quarters and couldn't stop by to announce Obi's leave. "He has the medicine and the note."

"Ah, good," Ryu muttered, clinking a few vials together accidentally when mixing the two. "It's a little strange without him around. It feels weird." Shirayuki smiled at Ryu's words. It's always intriguing to see Ryu actually use his feelings to react.

"Yeah, it does…" Shirayuki said with a gentle smile, looking down at her packed clipboard. There were several tasks she had to do, but they were slowly becoming squiggles to her eyes. She brought her hand up to the basil scarf around her neck, feeling its wool properties upon her smooth fingers.

"Do you miss him?" The young boy pondered, having Shirayuki drop her head a little lower.

"Just a bit," Shirayuki whispered, gripping onto the scarf harder as her eyes began to blur from the development of tears.

Her heart was struggling with feelings that don't mix properly. With Izana highlighting what happened between her and Zen and Obi being away, it was hard for her. The feelings for Zen may be fading but Obi has developed to be her comfort zone, and she misses it so, so much.

"He'll be back," Ryu began, having Shirayuki glance to her side to lend an ear. "He promised."

"That he did," Shirayuki struggled, a smile teasing her face with ease. She then turned and joined Ryu at his desk. His aqua eyes watched as she rubbed her own eyes and began tampering with the boys books. He didn't mind it, but he was curious at all the shifting she was doing until she finally revealed a burgundy-colored hardcover. "Is this the one for emotional remedies?"

"That's for remedies to make whenever you're feeling mad or angry," Ryu began simply. "You're seeking a remedy for the physical results of these emotions." Shirayuki giggled, knocking her head a bit to indicate her brief moment of stupidity. "Lucky for you, though, I've already created asked remedy for you."

"Y-you have?" Shirayuki asked in shock, her mouth slightly parted in evident surprise.

Shirayuki watched as Ryu placed the vials on his rack and dropped down to the floor. He crawled into his home right under the desk and sifted through his bedding for the remedy. She heard books being flung a little and bottles tapping one another before he groaned to confirm that he found it. Crawling out slowly, he glanced up to be wary of the desk before rising from the ground and offering Shirayuki the bottle.

It was a small, fat bottle, so to say. It had an extremely short neck to lead to the bulbous bottle. With one hand holding the top of it by the cork and the other right under the bottle, she analyzed the substance. To her surprise, it remained a fairly light-lemon color. It was transparent and rather thick, she noticed. She then removed the cork to reveal an extremely pungent, but fine fragrance release from the container.

"This smells like… juniper berry, rose, and lavender?" Shirayuki guessed, having Ryu flash a small smile before nodding in confirmation. "Where did you get the juniper berry though? They're rather rare to come across and we hadn't gotten one to grow here in the kingdom."

"I sent a letter to Lyrias, another estate in the Wistal Kingdom for a few berries," Ryu said simply. "So while you were distracted with Obi and everyone else, I took the opportunity to do this in somewhat secrecy. I made the remedy a while ago, but I allowed it to sit for a few to strengthen the properties."

Shirayuki couldn't help but feel so good after that. Ryu had thought about her enough to surprise her with such a needed gift. She knew that Ryu was not really the type to think about others or really derail from his work for something not required physically. But this young prodigy has grown emotionally after Shirayuki had entered his life and expressed a sort of love he's never felt before. And she is very happy that she has shown the young boy how to use his heart.

"Ryu." Shirayuki placed the bottle down before grabbing his shoulders and pulling him against her. She felt him gasp, his heart practically hammering out of his chest as Shirayuki held him. One hand remained on his upper back with the other right on top of his dark brown hair. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. I really appreciate it and I want you to know how grateful I am that you were my teacher and now one of my best friends."

"W-well," Ryu stuttered, hesitantly raising his arms. Shirayuki felt those short arms wrap around her stomach, feeling the hands unable to meet behind her back. "You're the closest thing I've had for a mother. I've never felt that before, and I think the way you've shown me makes it feel that way."

Shirayuki could've sworn that her lungs were broken at that very moment, because she was quickly out of breath from Ryu's words. He was always such a quiet, mysterious boy. Not outspoken but incredibly blunt every time he did do a bit of speaking. The young boy also proves to be fairly easy to read, especially when he does something embarrassing or out of the normal for him. But now, at this moment after hearing such heartfelt words from Ryu, Shirayuki couldn't help but feel so happy.

"I sometimes like to think I'm some sort of mother for you, next to Miss Garak," Shirayuki began quietly. "I care about you a lot, Ryu. I know that you know that, but I just want to repeat it just to make sure."

"Thank you for repeating it anyways," Ryu murmured, his face pressed against her belly. "Shirayuki, I wanted to actually ask you something."

"Yes?"

"If, in theory, the kingdom wanted to move me over to Wilant," Ryu began, his tongue spewing nervousness. Just that statement alone had Shirayuki figuring everything out. She hadn't known how to feel over it. "Would you… consider going with me?"

To leave Wistal Castle and the town of Clarines for Wilant? Shirayuki looked down as she held Ryu tighter in silence. She didn't know what to say. She had no words this time, and that scared her security over the young prodigy she loves.