Ch. 1

Prince Izana Wistiria stood upon one of the many balconies that overlooked the courtyard, his head propped lazily upon his chin. Sometimes he felt as though his whole life had been closing in around him, everything was so premeditated, so linear. There were moments he wished he could walk away from everything, even if only for a moment.. his position, his people, his cage of an identity.

Below him he could see his younger brother Zen running to catch up with the red haired maiden that had recently taken a position as a physican for his palace. He felt a pang of envy churning somewhere deep within him.

His brother, despite carrying similar burdens of being a member of the royal family, still had vast amounts of freedom he'd never be allowed as crowned prince. One of those freedoms was her.

Shirayuki..

Her name spun around his head for a moment leaving him dizzy. She was unlike anyone else he'd ever met. Some strange combination of a sweet, gentle humility and a juxtaposing brazen fire. Izana had, had only a few interactions with her since she'd come to the palace..but he'd watched her. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about her that twisted him, threw off his balance and melted his icy core.

Izana thought about the first time he'd summoned her to meet with him. He had every intention to hate her, to unravel her manipulative strategy to advance her position through Zen. Instead, he'd felt something strange and curious.

He'd held a flower up to her as she defiantly looked into his eyes. She asserted herself instantly with only a faint twinge of nervousness..

" you must be Zen's big brother.." Shirayuki said.

A part of him felt a minor jolt at her disregarding acknowledgement of him. Testing Izana from the first sentence.

" what an adorable way to address me.." He said poignantly.

They exchanged a few passive aggressive words.

Him: making it abundantly clear that his intention was to expose her and take her far from Zen.

Her: making it abundantly clear that despite Izana's status as future king.. She would not budge an inch, managing to also let him know she was not here to gain position nor power.

Shirayuki's emarald green eyes unnerved him, he'd felt his heart skip as she trained them on his own. Immediately his interest was peaked.. 'what type of riddle do you have for me?' He mused.

The crowned prince knew right away why his brother would be taken by her though he was unsure the younger Wistiria could ever be capable of truthfully solving the mystery she would prove to be.

... snapping back to his reality he saw Zen gently twist Shirayuki to face him.

With slight annoyance in his dark cerulean blue eyes, Izana leaned toward the edge of the balcony to listen for the dialogue that was eventually bound to come.

"Shirayuki.." Zen said as his whipped her around.

She was startled out of her daze of studies about local plants for the medicinal purposes of headaches.

" Oh Zen... !" The red haired girl said " I didn't expect to see you this early.. did you finish signing the official documents you were assigned?"

"I've done a fair amount.." he said teasingly.

Her eyes looked stern for a moment.. even from the slight distance Izana could see the slight shift of her disposition.

" Zen.. I think it would be best if you were to finish before coming here.." she said. " With your brother back in the palace, I feel as though any perceived slip especially while with me will immediately catch his negative attention..."

Zen let out a dramatic exasperated sigh.

" trust me, Shirayuki, my brothers negative attention on me was present before you were ever even here. He's never seen a point in my desire to leave the palace to interact with the very people we govern. He thinks im foolish and reckless.. young and insolent."

Shirayuki placed her hand upon his arm lightly as if to offer some silent reassurance. "I'm sure it is not out of a lack of love for you.. i would think he simply wants to protect you." " ..To see you become a fit prince."

'Shes right' Izana thought.

" Regardless.. i don't want you to think this has anything to do with you being here or not. If it wasn't you.. he'd be chastising me for some other obscure offense."

The red haired maiden allowed her hand to slip off of him. " Still, with everything you've done so far for me.. the last thing I'd want is for Izana to pick a fight with you over my being here. We both have to be more cautious-"

Zen cut her off abruptly. " I can meet you later then.. i don't want my negligence to reflect badly on you. He'll get used to you though...eventually" he smiled. " Once he sees your character he'll have no other choice."

Yet to be determined.. Izana mused...

After he watched his brother saunter away he found himself walking down the ever familiar stone steps that led to the central court yard where he'd watched them. The crowned prince wasn't sure why.. but before his mind couldn't allow him to reason with his actions he found himself halfway to Shirayuki .

Hearing his heavy footsteps Shirayuki once again was pulled from her book. With a quick glance around, her eyes froze on his form. He could tell she was startled by a the realization that it was him who was approaching this time.

" Prince Izana-" she said hesitantly. He could tell she was nervous.

" I can see you are deep into your studies this morning.. .Shirayuki" "I trust our medicinal library has been deemed worthy of your exploration."

"Ye-yes." She stammered. He felt an odd satisfaction about the fact that he potentially through her off kilter just as much as she to him.

" From commoner, to court herbalist to.." he paused. "To next intended of the second prince of this nation.. i am interested to see how the that last part will play itself into existence." Izana said cooly.

Her face reddened to a hue similar to her hair.

"I-I'm sorry?" She asked obviously taken aback by his bold shift in subject.

" I saw you with my brother just now, the two of you seem like lovers meeting in secret.." he chuckled humorously.

Her green eyes blazed as she looked at him now.. obviously irritated by his implication that that was what she was after. "If you saw, then I'm sure you couldn't have missed me persuading him to return to his duties.."

He smiled cruelly.

"-So you don't deny you're his lover then?" He threw back quickly.

To an outsider Izana would have sounded much more like a jealous lover than a ruler concerned for his brothers title.

She looked at him incredulously now. " Zen and I are friends.. the boundary of which you speak has not been breached nor could it.. how can i forget my lowly standing when i have people constantly remind me of my common background .."

Prince Izana felt like he was on fire. A match lit from her burning red hair. Who was she to speak to him in that tone.?. she had obviously forgotten whose property shed currently been standing on..

He closed the distance that had been between where theyd stood. He was intoxicatingly close to her now.. close enough to smell the floral scent that lingered around her small frame.

" Obviously forgotten enough that you'd deem it appropriate to speak to me in any manner you see fit." He said not backing down.

Unnerved by his closeness she found herself looking away reserving herself to backing down, if only a little.

"Im sorry.." she said coldly " it seems i might have forgotten myself after all. My mother once told me it was useless to dispute with someone who is unreasonably stuck in their own narrow perceptions"

He pulled her chin up to face him again. His blue eyes bore into hers with an intensity she had yet to know. And despite his obvious anger he could not help but be aware of how soft her face felt or how a strange heat passed through him as he felt her jagged breath hit him.

" had my perceptions been narrower i would commence to say that you would not be standing here now. Do not forget that despite Zen's ability to protect you from others in this palace his rank can not shield you from my ultimate word."

The words sank deep and despite the desire to put him in his place for his rudeness she had felt at home here and did not want to return to her homeland.

Shirayuki drew a narrow breath "You're right your highness.. forgive my imprudence. I am growing to love this country, as well as all that i am learning here at the palace. I do not wish to jeopardize the bit of joy i had come to find here."

Prince Izana dropped his hand from her face and eased away from her a bit. Winning an argument simply by forcing his status and power down her throat felt oddly dissatisfying.

"Whether you stay for now will depend on your own ability to do your job effectively as an herbalist, but it would be best if you remember that is your ultimate role in being here.. any extra curricular activities that do not pertain to your duty may eventually have consequences, and though i seek to be just, i have no qualms about doing what is necessary for my kingdom to operate effectively, is that clear?" Prince Izana asked her.

Shirayuki's eyes softened for a moment.

"I know... and part of me also knows somehow..that the hostility of your tone with me really does come from your love for Zen..for your country..." She said.

Izana's looked at her perplexed ..taken aback by the sudden flip in the argument..

But before he could say another word she continued. "Even knowing it, i can't help but take it personally.. we've only spoken a few times.. i guess i don't want you to believe I'm trying to harm things that are dear to you. I would like it if one day, my capabilities as an herbalist could be useful to your kingdom, to Zen, to.. you."

To me?

..to me.

A sudden idea came into his mind.. he would get to the bottom of her quickly enough. For Prince Izana was good with riddles.. he would have the answer even if it required a bit of deception on his part.

" I will hold you to your word then.. if i ever were to need your services, im sure as any other court herbalist you would drop all else for the health and safety of your future king.." a sudden mischievous gleam entered his countenance.

Confused by this Shirayuki replies in the only way she can to such a remark. "...yes."

Good enough for him.

With that Prince Izana turned on his heel and walked back into the palace.. but not before he could stop and speak to Ostir, his head private guard.

"Ostir, i need you to do me a favor, i need you to get your hands on an herb for me.. 'gierlder root'." He whispered.

"But sir, is that not the plant that creates fake poisoning symptoms..?" Ostir questioned.

"Yes...precisely." Prince Izana said with a haughty half smile.

...