Oooo look at me, posting another chapter that wouldn't be expected until like a month or two later. It's like 1 in the morning mind you, but I really wanted to continue the story. So here ya go!

SIXTY-TWO - Post-Bail

6 Days Until The Wedding

"I see you released your little pet from imprisonment."

Izana, ever the annoying sibling, spews as he spins his crystal glass cup of wine. His blue eyes narrowed down to look at his little brother, who had been seated at his desk with a quill in his hand. Zen drags the ink all about the pieces of parchment, attempting to hide his red eyes and bloated face. But he also knew that Izana wasn't stupid and had caught on as soon as he heard Zen sniffle.

Of course he knows. "And?" Zen questions quietly, continuing his writing pace without lifting his head up to look at his brother.

"Why'd you let him go?" Izana questions, the clinking of his boots sounding the room as he walked closer to his brother. He grabs one of the chairs in the office and drags it towards Zen's desk to take a seat before. Izana crosses his legs, getting himself comfy while still steading his watch over his sibling. "Why'd you even arrest him if you were going to release him in days time?"

"It doesn't matter why," Zen replies nonchalantly, "he's out now."

Izana couldn't help but stare at his brother. It wasn't uncommon for Zen to behave distant or passive aggressive whenever Izana pried or confronts him of things. But there was always bite in his voice with a pinch of silent bark that he always refused to let go. Those azure eyes were so clouded and distant and Izana couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.

"Are you unwell, Zen?" Izana begins to ask with some concern. "Have you eaten?" Zen only shrugs. "Zen, what happened?"

Zen could only shake his head. He was trying very hard to keep himself together, his attention completely focused on signing all of the scrolls he had to sign. His puce bottom lip was residing between his teeth, his eyes threatening to tear. There were too many things on the young Prince's mind and right now, he wasn't particularly up to being interrogated.

Izana found his attempts futile (not that he was trying much anyways). He figured that pressing more wouldn't get him closer to his sought-out answers. So he rose from the seat he had pulled up and turned away from his little sibling. He sips on his wine glass once more before striding towards the doors. His free hand snakes around the handle but he doesn't open it quite yet. He turns to narrow his eyes on his brother.

"Zen?"

"Yes, Lord Brother?" Zen mumbles.

"Don't do anything you wouldn't do," Izana advises. "I liked it when you didn't listen to anything but your own heart."

Zen's pupils widen as he listens to his brother exit his quarters and shut the door behind him. His hand stops, the quill slowly oozing a small river of ink out. The tears were finally rushing out of his eyes as Zen tosses the quill aside and hides his face into his hands. He was absolutely fuming; he couldn't even react with sound.

The young Prince abruptly stands, his work throne pushed back violently by the back of his knees. He clenches his fists furiously, his veins protruding from his forearms. The blue and green snakes poke from his flesh, blood surging through his body from anger. Without warning or much thought, Zen slams his hands on top of his desk and pushes all the scrolls and antique items in front of it.

He listens to the parchment fly and the heavy items thunk on the ground. Zen's right hand forces itself to run through his silver locks. Frustration wasn't suffice to describe the feeling that this man felt. His hand grabs his locks tightly, his bottom lip cutting between his teeth. He walks away from his desk and goes towards his balcony, shoving the doors open to let himself get air.

Zen looks up at the beautiful blue sky and lets himself cry once again, letting his guard completely down. With clench fists reaching his limit, his finally lets go of his lip and shouts, "Why!" He slams his hands down on his rail and grasps it strongly. "Why me? Why do I have to be unhappy? Why!?"

He is responded with silence, with a few strikes of gentle wind blowing at his face. He could feel his loose strands tickle his rosy, wet cheeks. Zen's hands go loose, sliding down the poles that connect the lengths of the railing. He stops himself before his knees just barely touch the ground, defeat deflating his shoulders.

"I have to be better than this," Zen whispers to himself, his eyes gazing off at his state. "I will be better than this." He makes this pact with himself as he begins to think about the words he will be telling to his Personal Assistant.

"Miss, you can't just ask me to do that," Obi chuckles, his hand patting his lovers head.

"But why not?" Shirayuki whines, pouting down at her vials full of herbs.

Obi, Shirayuki, and Ryu found themselves back at the court herbalists' office. Ryu had been caught up in his work, scribbling down on a journal that Garak had gotten him. He has been working on a book, hoping that it gets passed down through the years after he is no longer a court herbalist for the Wistalia Kingdom and any kingdom after.

Obi and Shirayuki were on the floor. Obi had sat in a way in which Shirayuki had nested herself in the space provided between his legs. With his arms hoisting him up, Obi leans back comfortably and watches the beauty before him, hard at work. Shirayuki was busy delicately studying herbs while complaining over Obi no longer calling her by her actual name.

"I'm not used to it just yet," Obi begins shyly, somewhat fearful that the girl will hit him for his horrid excuse. "Miss or Mistress is just… installed in my tongue… Little Miss."

Shirayuki huffs, "so why were you able to say it while imprisoned?"

W-well…" Obi was fearful to respond to her. He didn't want her to know that he was genuinely scared for his life in there. He truly believed that Zen was intending to leave him there to rot and he would never get to see Shirayuki's face or indulge in her presence ever again. "It just came out, Miss, I don't know how to describe it to you. It felt right to say your name at the time."

"But we're lovers… I want you to say my name the way I'm able to say yours," Shirayuki complained softly, urging for him to understand. And he does; Obi just can't. "I wish I can make a remedy to get you to say my name."

Obi snickers, "I bet you'd love that. I can see myself shouting your name from the mountain tops-" Obi quickly (but carefully) gets on his feet and strikes his arms through the air, "'Shirayuki!'"

Ryu was startled as Shirayuki turned and giggles. She then puts her herbs down and tugs at Obi's hands. She smiles up at him, emerald eyes beaming with dimples denting the sides of her soft lips. "Hey," Shirayuki hums softly, "you just said it. Was it that hard?"

Obi sighs, "yeah, a little bit." Obi lets go of one of her hands and begins to pat his chest. "It kinda feels a little hot in here. What do you think I have, doc?"

"You even yelled it!" Shirayuki urged, ignoring his playful attempt to change the subject. Obi smirks, bending his knees to meet her height on the floor. Her eyes glimmered with hope, and that alone stabs Obi's delicate heart. "Just four syllables."

"Four very tough and chest-bending syllables," Obi begins quietly. "Four syllables that define beauty to the point where I know I will never be able to do it justice." He brings a hand to play with a loose strand of her red hair and tucks it behind her ear. "Four syllables that I thought I'd never be able to say so long as you were someone else's woman."

Shirayuki's eyes falter, "O-Obi…"

"The number of syllables do not determine the level of simplicity," Obi hums, his hands beginning to cup her cheeks. "I love that you yourself are not simple. I like to work for things- especially when they're worth it." He then presses his lips against her forehead and gives her a delicate kiss, causing Shirayuki to snake her hands over his. "I'm still unable to comprehend how you're mine so you have to let me work at my own pace. Is that okay?"

Shirayuki looks up at him, seeing his amber eyes melt by her stare. She's always in awe at Obi's tongue, never really ready for the things he says to her. They're always so sweet and articulate that she doesn't know how to combat her own heart from speeding up when she hears them. Obi had always been so sweet to her but with they way they are now, she too doesn't know how to behave when he spoils her with saccharine words and affection.

"Eventually, your name will probably be the only thing I'll say," Obi humors, causing a small smile to play at her lips. "And you'll be annoyed with me but you wouldn't ever ask me to stop. I promise."

Shirayuki stares wistfully at him before sticking her pinkie finger in front of him. "Pinkie promise?"

Obi rolls his eyes but brings his pinkie towards hers. He wraps it around hers and begins to rock it side to side, "I pinkie promise." Shirayuki smiles widely and that's when Obi's heart finally took a seat. He felt relieved because if she continued pressing him, Obi was sure that it would lead to her kicking his butt.

He then leans down for a kiss, in which Shirayuki obliges happily. While their lips parted, Obi's eyes ogle towards the clock and realize it was close to time for his meeting with Zen. "Aw Mistress, I have to leave very soon."

"What?" Shirayuki whined. "Why?"

"Master wants to have that talk with me, remember?" Obi reminds her, having Shirayuki's shoulders completely sink in woe. "He let me out with a condition, Miss, and this is it. I have to have a talk with him."

"But you just got out!"

"It's been about 2 hours, Little Miss," Obi chuckles.

"Still!"

"Just because you don't want me to doesn't mean it can't happen," Obi sighs, watching as Shirayuki joined him in getting back on his feet. She bends down to pick up her herbs, having Obi follow and assist her. "It's going to be quick- I'll probably be back before you know it."

"You're still here and I already miss you," Shirayuki complains as she puts her tools on her desk. "So I'm practically immune to those words." Obi chuckles, putting the herbs on her desk as well before ruffling her hair. "Can you sleep in my room tonight?"

"Is that even a question?" Obi smiles. "I'm not really eager to return to my room anytime soon, considering how much time I spent in there in one sitting." He shudders. "Even then, I really want to be with you tonight, Mistress, so I'm also pretty glad you asked."

Shirayuki smiles, getting on her toes to get a kiss. Obi wraps his arms around her waist tightly and gifts her a warm and gentle kiss, remembering just how much he loved kissing her and feeling her lips against his. As they pull away, Shirayuki 'threateningly' pokes Obi's chest, "be back soon, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Obi salutes to her before beginning to take his leave from the office. He places a hand on Ryu's head and ruffles it, having Ryu simply look over with his big blue eyes. "Hold down the fort for me, half pint." Ryu nods, continuously watching Obi as he takes his leave.

Obi wouldn't show it or admit it, but he was pretty nervous to finally speak to Zen head-on. It had been a while since they had spoken 1-on-1 and he wasn't too eager about it. With everything that has gone down in this kingdom, Obi doubts that he is one of Zen's favorite people right now. But he hopes that they may simmer down the tides between them, despite all the horrid things that Zen has done to not only him, but to Shirayuki as well.

After all, Obi has Zen to thank for bringing him to the peak of his happiness.

Because of Zen (or really, Lord Haruka), Obi was able to share many amazing memories with people who have shown him what it was like to enjoy life legally. Zen had helped him realize that happiness can be achievable in life without needing to go rogue and hurt other people. Kiki and Mitsuhide showed him how good it feels to let your heart be swallowed up in good deeds and striving to return back to the world. And Shirayuki taught him how to love and accept love as its given. And for this, he wishes he can give the world back to them.

And Obi understands he cannot give them the world, but he can definitely try to. All starting with his Master.