Shirayuki felt spent. She wasn't sure how long she had clung to Obi, finally fully mourning the loss of her grandparents. Eventually her sobs had quieted, and she turned her head, resting it against his chest, soothed by the steady beating of his heart. She had expected to feel embarrassed that she had been so vulnerable, had held him so close, but none of the flustered feelings reared up. Instead, she felt at home in his embrace. Her hand had loosened from its grip on his shirt and instead rested gently on his back. The redhead blew out a long sigh, finally releasing the last of the tension in her body.
Obi raised his head from where he had pressed his lips to the crown of her head. The hand that had been smoothing circles on her back unwrapped from her and he gently cupped her face, turning it up towards his.
"Miss?" he said softly, his eyes finding hers. Green met gold and Shirayuki's breath caught in her throat. Small flecks of hazel dotted around his pupil and she wondered why she had never seen them before. Obi's hand shifted against her cheek and the roughness of his fingers woke her senses. Every place they connected with her skin burned and she felt suddenly like she was teetering on the edge of something she didn't quite understand.
"Obi?" Her voice was roughened slightly from crying and his brow furrowed as he looked down at her. Her lips had parted slightly as if there was another question that she was trying to will from herself. His gaze flicked down to her mouth and his heart lurched. By sheer force of will, he gently loosened his hold on her and took a half step back. He immediately regretted their disconnection as his arms felt heavier at his sides than they did holding her close. He tried to push it aside and looked down at his mistress. Her face was puffy from crying and she was slightly disheveled, but she was still stunning.
"If you are not feeling up to it, we can stay inside today, but I was thinking that you might feel a bit better if we could get outdoors, Miss. What would you prefer to do?"
Shirayuki scrubbed at her cheeks with the back of her hand and considered her options.
"I think you're right, Obi," she said. "I would feel better after a walk. We could always see how the greenhouses are coming along." Her previous visits had seen her replanting their greenhouses in the style that she had adopted from Clarines, and she was eager to see their progress. Raj had given his blessing for her to do whatever she pleased with them, and the Tanbarun herbalists appreciated the help.
"Then give me a moment to get changed, and we'll head out." Obi took another step back from her and she saw the wet blotches on the front of his shirt.
"Sorry about that," she said, her cheeks reddening as she looked at the ground.
"Nothing to be sorry for, Miss," he said gently, reaching forward and tucking one of the loosened strands of her hair back behind her ear. "Job hazard, you know." He gave her a crooked smile and walked to the door adjoining their room. Obi left the door cracked slightly in case she needed him and swiftly changed into more formal clothes. When he stripped off his damp shirt, the fresh wound on his chest twinged a little. Absently, he rubbed it, making a mental note to put a dressing on it that evening so it wouldn't catch on his clothes. Once he was as court-ready as he could stand to be, he returned to Shirayuki's room.
During his absence, the girl had used the water basin and a cloth in her room to wipe down her face, and then smoothed her hair as best as she could with one hand. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying, but she knew only time would settle them down.
Once they were both presentable, they ate a hurried breakfast and readied to leave their suites. Before opening the doors, Obi snagged the small basket that hung on a peg by the exit.
"Ready, Miss?"
"Yes! Let's see if they were able to get the rest of that greenhouse replanted since our last visit!"
The prospects of seeing the results of their had work quickened her step, and she felt lighter, more at peace after crying herself out. She had felt too scared, too vulnerable to express her grief as a child. She hadn't wanted to seem weak or incapable as she tried to transition the tavern into an herbalist shop. She hadn't wanted pity. And when she had cried this morning, it wasn't pity she had felt in his embrace. His strength had steadied her, given her a foundation as she tried to fit all of the pieces of herself back together.
Their path was a familiar one as the two walked towards the gardens, remarking here and there on the progress of the different herbs that had been planted alongside the more decorative plants. Beauty and function, Shirayuki had declared when Raj had inquired as to why she wanted to plant herbs along the pathways. He'd seen no reason to object, so now chamomile peeked around perfectly rounded bushes, and lavender swayed in the breeze, the bushes humming with the soft drone of bees.
When they finally reached the main greenhouse, they noticed the door was already opened. Inside waited the second prince of Clarines, bent down and examining the petals of some echinacea. Zen straightened as he heard them approach.
"Good morning," he said enthusiastically, and ran an appraising eye over Shirayuki. He didn't miss the redness of her eyes and his brow furrowed. He started to step forward to her but was interrupted by Obi.
"Ah, Master, we weren't expecting you already this morning. Miss, I don't believe Miss Kiki has seen the work you've done to try to bring some of the tropical fruits here." He looked pointedly at Kiki, who stepped forward and linked her arm with Shirayuki's uninjured arm.
"You're right, I hadn't. Is it true that you were able to graft a lemon and a lime tree together?"
Shirayuki needed no other encouragement, and she steered the older woman towards the edges of the greenhouse, happily explaining the grafting process and her hopes for a larger variety of species in one greenhouse.
"What happened?" Zen asked lowly, once the girls were out of earshot.
"We had a visit from the princess this morning," Obi answered quietly, watching the backs of the girls as they walked around the edges of the greenhouse. "It brought up some bad memories for Miss."
"I see. I was afraid of that." Zen sighed. "The funeral is tomorrow, and then the coronation is that evening. We've been instructed by Lord Brother to stay through the coronation. I'm not sure how long Shirayuki will want to stay, but Kiki, Mitsuhide, and I will have to return to Clarines the day after the coronation. You're both welcome to come back with us, but you have leave from my brother to stay as long as you're needed."
Obi nodded and the men watched the girls walk around and examine the plants. After a few moments, Shirayuki looked up, her eyes searching for her knight.
"Obi, over here!" she exclaimed, waving her hand at him. Obediently, he loped over to her.
"Yes, Miss?"
"The valerian is ready to harvest! I'm running a bit low, so if you could, would you set the basket down? I need to get a few of the roots to dry." She bent down and dug her fingers through the dry soil, seeking out the root ball. She found it, then carefully separated some of the roots and broke them off, setting them in the basket to dry later. Once she got started harvesting, she moved between the rows, plucking some yarrow here, some agrimony there. Obi followed behind, carrying the basket and helping her up after she had bent over a few patches a bit too long. It was a well-practiced dance for them.
When the basket was full to bursting, she finally stood and stretched. Walking over to the aqueducts, she washed off her hand as best as she could and turned to face the prince and his attendants.
"That's quite the haul," Zen remarked, impressed.
"Yes! The greenhouse is flourishing! If I get everything drying, it should all be ready to pack up before we head back home."
"Sounds like you have a busy afternoon ahead of you then." The prince smiled at her and she smiled back. They both knew that her room would be covered in scattered herbs for the next few days. No room was safe from her transformation into a mini apothecary. If they stayed very long, there was a good chance she'd also commandeer Obi's room to hang herbs as well.
"I'll let you get to it, then," he said, giving her a slight bow. "If you need me, you know where to find me."
"Thank you, Zen," she said warmly. "Hopefully we'll see you for dinner."
The trio departed the greenhouse, leaving Obi and Shirayuki in relative peace. Obi hooked the basket over his arm and then offered his other arm to her.
"Shall we return, Miss? I can get these tied up and hanging while you get cleaned up."
Sure enough, there were smudges of dirt on her face and, despite her best efforts to be careful, along her bandages.
"Good idea," she declared, and looped her arm around his. The pair chattered lightly on their walk back to the castle, discussing plans for the rest of the afternoon. Obi's vote had been for a nap, and hers for some studying.
As they approached the castle doors, they found Sakaki waiting for them.
"Miss Shirayuki," he said, bowing slightly.
"Oh, hello Sakaki. Is there anything we can help you with?"
"No, Miss Shirayuki," he said, straightening up. "But his highness would like to invite you to dinner tonight. One of the staff will be along to fetch you in the evening."
"I look forward to it." She smiled at him and he stepped aside, his invitation having been delivered. Obi removed his arm from hers and opened the door, waiting as she walked through. The trip back to their suites was short, and the pair entered Shirayuki's room. While he moved to start bundling herbs, she stepped into the shared bathroom, using a mirror and a damp towel to wipe her face and arms as best as she could.
Once she was as clean as she could get, she got to work on her bandages. Untying the knot around the splint was tricky with her non-dominant hand, but once she worked it loose, she unraveled the rest of the bandages. The fresh air felt good on her skin and she gingerly moved her fingers around. The pain twinged around the break in her bone, but the skin that had been pierced did not reopen and seemed to be healing well. No more poultice, she decided, and gently wiped down her arm with the damp towel.
Nimble as her fingers were, she was unable to get the splint replaced and wrapped on her own. After a few fumbled attempts, she blew out a frustrated breath and walked back into her room. Bunches of herbs and flowers hung from any available space on the walls, and Obi was just finishing up cleaning up any errant leaves.
"Can you tie me up?" she asked, waving the splint and bandages at him.
"Tie you up?" he purred mischievously, a glint in his eyes, "Why Miss, I thought you'd never ask. Though honestly, I figured you'd be the one tying me up." He mimed his wrists being bound together in front of him and Shirayuki rolled her eyes.
"You're horrible," she laughed, balling up the bandages and throwing them at him. He caught them easily and grinned at her.
"Yet you still keep me around," he remarked, moving forward and taking the splints lightly from her hands. He directed her to her chair by the fireplace and knelt in front of her. He made short work of re-splinting her arm. Once it was secured, he stood and yawned.
"Go take a nap, Obi," Shirayuki chided. "I'll read for a bit."
The knight retrieved her book for her and set it on her lap. He then padded over to the door to his room and looked back over his shoulder at her and frowned at the conflicted look on her face.
"What's the matter, Miss?"
"Stay? Please? You can nap on my bed, I don't mind." She chewed on her lip, blushing lightly.
He turned back and walked to her chair, placing his fingers lightly on her shoulder.
"I'll stay, Miss."
"Promise?" she asked, but the question felt more loaded than it ever had.
"Always."
The pair passed a quiet afternoon, Shirayuki reading while Obi napped lightly, occasionally peeking through his lashes to watch the girl settled back into her chair, wrapped up in her studies. Eventually sleep won her over as well and she dozed off in her chair, book forgotten on her lap. Tranquility settled over the room as their soft breaths puffed in the room, the pair both getting some much-needed rest.