Shirayuki can feel every second like an hour, every tick of the clock seems like a century, as she tries to work hard and meet whatever deadline lies before her. It doesn't seem like the type of moment where a break can easily fit into it.
Right now, she needs to get the herbs ready, after having dried them, and then she has to grind them in order to make medicine, double-checking that she mixes the right amount of each herb. And once that's done, she has to put those in a bottle and label it.
On top of that, her desk is also filled with half-read political reports that she needs to return to, read carefully, sign and then make sure she remembers what's in them to go back over in a meeting soon. It's part of Izana's get ready for the noble life plan that he's been enacting lately. And Shirayuki feels a little tired and pretty lonely too.
She isn't even in the pharmacy right now, but an office upstairs that she's supposed to call her own or at least feel at home with. But it's too quiet, and she's a bit worn out anyway. And she knows that tomorrow there will be even more on her plate to worry about than today.
There's a soft knock on her door, two, three, one. A quiet little rhythm to it.
"Come in." And as soon as the words are heard, the door opens easily and in comes Zen.
"Have you taken a break yet?" He looks hopeful and optimistic, and in his hands are a bag and a bouquet.
"Not yet, no." Shirayuki sighs and leans back in her seat. The medicine is tucked carefully in its bottle and labeled by this point. So, at the very least, that's taken care of.
"Then, I came at the right time." He smiles at her and steps closer, handing her a bouquet, "You've been working very hard."
"Thank you." It's a light floral scented bouquet, so faint she could only barely smell it, and yet, the colors pop against one another: red, pink, yellow, white. It's really beautiful.
"I figured no one told you yet that you're doing a good job. You know how Brother gets?" Zen's still smiling though she can see the little hint of disappointment that his brother wouldn't stop by and congratulate Shirayuki on balancing all of this and doing so well at it too.
"Thank you. It's a bit new." Shirayuki carefully sets down the bouquet, moving the medicine bottle aside carefully so as to not knock it over, and she also pushes the paperwork further out of the way, so she isn't eyeing it the whole time while she's supposed to be taking a break now.
"You're welcome. It's a lot even when you're used to it." Zen sighs, "And it gets harder, I imagine, with the herbalist work too."
"It is." Shirayuki smiled and gestured at the bag Zen held, curious to see what he brought over.
"I brought lunch!" Zen took out some small containers and separated them into two spots on the table, "It's from that restaurant we went to last time we went into town, the one you really liked."
"Thank you." Shirayuki took a deep breath and let the anxiety float away from her, so that she could enjoy this lovely meal with Zen.