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Zen’s coming today! Shirayuki woke up with a grin and slipped into a change of clothes, walking over to the pharmacy. I can’t believe my time in Lyrias is coming to end! I’ll go to the Wilant Castle with Ryuu and Obi and finally get His Highness’s recognition! But I’ll have a hard time seeing Zen then!
“Zen-sama is here!” Shirayuki turned around and saw Zen walk through with Mitsuhide and Kiki at his side. He turned his head toward her direction, frozen in his spot, and smiled. She saw that Mitsuhide and Kiki had turned their heads in the same direction and saw her.
“Thank you, we’ll be heading to Zen-sama’s room in a moment. It’s up the stairs, down the hall on the right, and at the door on the left at the end of the hall, yes?” Mitsuhide asked. Receiving a nod, he let the guards go and watched as the guards walked past Shirayuki and when she was sure they were gone, she ran to Zen, who wrapped his arms around her and twirled her around.
“Zen! Oh, I missed you so much!” Shirayuki buried her head into his shoulder when he gently placed her feet on the floor while still holding her. “I’ll have to go through this again when I go to the Wilant Castle!”
Stroking her red hair, he whispered, “When you do, I’ll come by and I’ll go see my mother as well. I’ll come anytime, just send me a letter.” Pushing her back by shoulders slightly, he smiled. “I missed you.” He looked over his shoulders to his two aides and saw them give him a nod, probably knowing what he was about to ask. The two closed their eyes and Zen faced Shirayuki again before dipping his head to capture her lips.
Shirayuki was eager to return the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Until they had the need to breathe again, she released her arms and stepped out of his warm arms and walked down the hall toward the pharmacy, letting their hands hold each other before their touch was fully gone. She saw him wink, letting her know that she’d see him later, she smiled back and said, “Bye Zen. Bye Mitsuhide-san, Kiki-san! I promise I’ll catch up with you later! I’ll get Obi to meet you guys first!’ Shirayuki ran to the pharmacy and bumped Obi. “Obi!”
“Mistress, I was just coming to find you. Had something happened — Master! Long time no see!”
“Yeah, we can talk and catch up later. I’ll come by the pharmacy and we can go to the library for Shirayuki’s sake,” Zen laughed. “Hurry up and go to work.” Waving to the two run off, he turned around to Mitsuhide and Kiki, “What’s on the agenda?”
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After tiresome hours, Shirayuki was finally able to meet up with Zen, Mitsuhide, and Kiki. She quickly shouted, “Obi, I’m done! Are you done with everything?”
Obi jumped down from the window sill and nodded. As the two of them walked out and into the library, she walked over to Zen’s room. Knocking on his door, Obi beat Shirayuki and said, “Master, Mistress and I will be coming in now—?”
Cutting off Obi, Kiki had opened the door and held it open as the two walked in. “Zen’s been sucked into this book a child had suggested to him earlier and apparently he finds the book ironic because the protagonist's name is Snow White and apparently that’s what your name means, Shirayuki! Eventually she gets a basket of poisoned apples which also happened to you guys and she falls into a deep sleep, only that didn’t happen to you. And then he won’t tell us what happens or what happened next. After that, as you can see, he fell asleep.”
Seeing Shirayuki yawn, Mitsuhide said, “Shirayuki, if you’re tired too, you can sleep for a bit. The three of us will stay here and we can wake up both of you in an hour and a half.”
“Um, I think it would be easier to go to my chambers.”
“No no, you’re already here and your chambers are on the other side right? We’ll make sure nothing happens if you’re worried about that,” Mitsuhide smiled.
Shirayuki nodded and thanked the three of them before walking over to Zen’s bed and laying down next to him. She simply closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
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Zen woke up almost an hour after Shirayuki had fallen asleep, he felt a small weight next to him and looked over to his side. “Woah!” he whispered. He turned his head, looking forward, only to find his aides and immediate knights playing cards. “Why didn’t you wake me up before?” he asked while rubbing his eyes.
“Well, Mistress was tired as well and we thought it would be best if both of you caught up on your sleep. Now you can wake her up by using the same method as the book, Master!”
Blushing, he said, “That was some fairytale, it’s not going to work! And you guys read that?” Seeing his three friends nod, he saw Obi pointing to Shirayuki and the three of them slapped a hand over their eyes.
Zen looked down at Shirayuki and locked his lips with hers. Feeling her response to the kiss a couple seconds later, he lifted his head to see her eyelids flutter open. “What was that for?” she whispered with a smile.
“I heard that Mitsuhide and Kiki told you the bases of the fairytale I was reading before and how your name means Snow White, no? Well, Shirayukihime or Snow White, woke up with a kiss from her prince when she fell into a deep sleep. And here I am,” he whispered in her ear. “It makes me feel like this is a fairytale itself.”
Shirayuki smiled, “Maybe it is.”