Disclaimer: Akagami no Shirayukihime is the property of Sorata Akizuki
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Characters: Izana Wistalia, Shirayuki
Pairing: Possible one-sided Izana
Wordcount: 875
Rating: General, Romance
Timeline: Between Chapter 41 and Chapter 49
Quotes: "Many perfumes promise to lure men to women. None of them smell of motherhood. None of them proclaim the wearer to be tidy, thrifty, and sensible."
― Janette Rallison, My Fair Godmother
He could smell sandalwood and amber, incense, and even the burning phosphorus of a matchstick after striking the rough side of the matchbox.
A church. One of the chapels of Wilant Castle. How could he forget such a holy smell? There was even the crisp, clean smell of virgin snow falling outside.
A monk comforting a small group of women clutching their babies close. Healers and pharmacists treating the wounded lying in the pews.
Izana glanced down, noted his winter clothing. Winter was particularly heavy and harsh that year. He accompanied his mother inside the chapel, serving as a temporary shelter for the villagers of a nearby area. An avalanche occurred hours ago, burying half of the isolated village in heavy snow and ice. The remaining villagers were forced to seek shelter at Wilant Castle, and her Majesty, the Queen, immediately opened its doors to welcome them. Organizing some of the castle's military arm to search for survivors, the men from the village volunteered to accompany the contingent of soldiers and help look for more survivors.
A few of the women were sobbing, some children crying. Old men and women looked shocked, and sat like imposing statues against the thousands of flickering candles.
"Here."
He looked up and found himself accepting bread spread with plum jam and wrapped in paper to retain its warmth. The young servant girl, somewhat near his age, smiled faintly back at him. She had straw-colored hair and slate-colored eyes. "Eat! It's warm, and it will give you strength."
"I do not need it." He thrust the bread back at her. Didn't she realize that he was the prince by the grandeur of his clothing? His bearing is a dead giveaway.
She tilted her head and replied. "Yes you do. Your family is in here somewhere, right? Go on. Her Majesty has instructed us to feed the hungry."
His eyes narrowed. Opening his mouth, he was cut off abruptly by the girl.
"To be honest, I feel shaken by the tragedy, and I am afraid I might be of no help at all. I have no news of my own family. They live in the same village. I was employed by the occupants of the Castle as a servant, so that my parents need not work so hard." Here, her voice began to tremble a little. "I am hoping for the best. But I cannot sit by and wait for news. I wanted to do something, so I might as well help the best way I can." She gestured at the basket of food and warm apple cider she carried in both hands.
Her family is still missing? He gazed back at her face to see whether she was lying, but now, he could note the dried tracks of tear stains on her cheeks, the redness of her eyes and the glistening of more unshed tears. And yet, her bearing was even more regal than his!
How brave of her! Where did she find strength to move? He would probably feel distracted and distraught if his own family was caught in the avalanche.
"What will you do if they didn't survive?" The words were already out from his mouth before he realized the callousness of his question.
Her face crumpled a little. But she forced her trembling mouth into a small smile.
"They are in a better place than me. Life must go on. The world will not stop spinning just because my family is gone."
"I am sorry. That was uncalled for." He bowed his head in apology, forgetting he is of higher rank than her.A prince nodding to a servant girl.
She placed the baskets down at her feet and clutched his hands, still holding the warm bread. He could almost feel energy from those hands, despite the rough texture and the calluses.
"It matters not whether you are the richest or the most powerful. We are all the same in the end. Whether you are a prince or a beggar. What matters is what kind of imprint you want to leave in this world. And how people will remember your kindness, bravery and gentleness."
A commotion outside distracted them. Both turned to look sideways, shadows and lights flickering between the thin slats of the great wooden doors of the chapel.
The doors opened suddenly. The men from the villagers came back, carrying injured people in makeshift stick beds, while some who could still walk were supported by the shoulders and arms, but most of the bedraggled crowd was wet from the snow and they shivered underneath the heavy blankets provided for them.
"Marianne?!" one of the women recognized the servant girl.
"Maman!"
"Oh, Marianne!" The woman ran forward, and Marianne, the servant girl with the kind smile burst into happy tears at being reunited with a member of her family.
Izana looked down at the forgotten basket of food, feeling humbled by the servant girl who had displayed more wisdom than the wisest of the castle's advisers.
What matters is what kind of imprint you wanted to leave in this world. And how people will remember your kindness, bravery and gentleness.
Treasures could be found in the most unexpected places and circumstances. Tonight, he found treasure from the words of a servant girl.
Author's Notes
Scent Meaning:
Sandalwood scents – signify protection, harmony and well being; also Inspiration, psychic awareness and intuition
Amber - an organic gemstone that's the hardened resin of the now extinct Pinus succinifera, and other trees. It smells oriental and also signify protection and harmony and even opulence.