Bewitched (Snow White with the Red Hair Fanfic)

11.Talent

It felt like a wonderful day today. I could feel the sun rays totally refreshing my soul and body. Most of all, I'm incredibly excited to see Shirayuki within her workplace today.

Apparently, Prince Raj hadn't returned to Tanbarun so I still had to be on my best behaviour with him. He tried talking to me a couple of times, at which I politely conversed as best I could with him.

I still doubt his motives and character.

Anyway, going on how I finally got permission to get to see Shirayuki work was all thanks to Zen. I didn't quite get how he did it but he told me the day before that he wanted to visit Shirayuki together with me and of course, I said yes.

I was practically gliding across the empty hallway and on my way to meet Zen when Izana and I clashed around the corner. I bumped into his broad chest.

"Can you not rush around so much? It makes me want to hug you desperately right now." Izana said and I backed away quickly, blushing. "Um...I do have somewhere to go." I replied nervously.

Izana chuckled at my actions. "Perhaps meeting with Zen?" His face suddenly turned a sorrowful type of seriousness and I immediately felt guilt rising up inside of me.

"Yes...." I answered softly. "But it's just to see the workplace! Nothing about that sort of...that sort of things..." My voice was so out of tune and it was the fact that I didn't want Izana to get the wrong idea. At least, not about Zen.

"You don't need to say that much. I told you, didn't I?" Izana lowered his head to my ear. "I am going to make you my wife no matter what the obstacles are. Not even Zen can stop me."

"Um..." I was about to reply until I felt his lips pressed onto my ear. I flinched as he pulled back and placed a second kiss on my right cheek.

"I will wait for you to say yes to my feelings. But I hope it doesn't take very long though." he said and I, at the moment, was sorting out my emotions into one big sentence.

"Izana...I, um, I like you too. Very much. If I could, I would say yes here and right now," I said. "But doing so would make people think I'm taking advantage as a foreign princess...."

"Do you think I'm letting you take advantage of me right now then?" Izana said back and I took a step backward. Before I look at him straight in the eyes.

"No, no! That's not it. What I want to do is prove myself to be worthy of being your wife. Not only to you but as someone fair to everyone in Clarines, to every single one that I can be a part of their family."

Izana seemed stunned with my answer. He sighed with a smile afterwards. "Fine, if you wish to do so. You have already proven enough for me though. And I can already see a future where you can fit in anywhere in Clarines too."

"Thanks for believing in me, Izana." I smiled gratefully at him. Hopefully, I could match my actions with my words.

"Always, Lera. I won't ever doubt your perseverance."

♢♢♢

"Finally, you're here. What took you so long anyway?" Zen asked with an irritated tone in his voice. I must have been a lot later than I thought I was.

"Um...I was just caught up in....stuff, so shall we go?" I asked and he nodded. "To Shirayuki!"

"So, Zen, as a prince, do you have any private spy hiding in the shadows to protect you like Kiki and Mitsuhide?" I asked on the way, avoiding the silence. "I do. But not to protect me though. He just follows whatever I command and he just recently became my spy so I can't really trust him for my protection too."

"Perhaps you're referring to Obi?" I asked and he looked at me. "Yeah, that's right. You two met before, haven't you? I sent him in place of Mitsuhide and I have to say, he reported some stuff about your defensive moves." Zen chuckled and made a laugh.

I blushed. "Well, I didn't know who he was..." And I glared at Zen. "Plus, I can't believe you sent someone unknown to escort me!"

"Alright, alright. Sorry about that. Despite the way he looks, he's a professional so I let him take the job of protecting you." Zen said.

Protecting me? Obi? Why, Zen...

"And don't think that I hired someone I can't trust with my own safety for you. I just didn't want Kiki or Mitsuhide to feel undutiful."

"I get it. Thanks for your concern. But.." I resumed. "I'm going to have to refuse it."

"Why, may I ask?" Zen questioned cooly. "I think Obi should look after Shirayuki. Since she has already been threatened once and for all I know, people outside rarely know about me yet."

Zen hesitated for a long moment and finally smiled in appreciation. "I'll take up your offer on that. Obi will look after Shirayuki. As for you..." he stopped.

"Hmm..?" I sounded in curiosity.

"I will take care of you."