He's My Knight in Shining Armor (Akagami no Shirayukihime Fanfiction)

Chapter 7: Shirayuki's True Feelings

Shirayuki ran as far as she could and only stopped when her legs couldn't move anymore. She leaned on the nearest tree and heaved her chest up and down, trying to get her breathing to be steady. She tried to console herself as best as she could.

It's... not as if... he would follow... me here, right?

"Shirayuki!"

Her whole body immediately froze in shock, her eyes widening. He followed me out into the forest?!

She forced herself to run even more, pushing herself past her limit to do so. His footsteps resounded behind hers, echoing only a few feet behind.

"Shirayuki! Why are you running away?!" Zen asked, clearly annoyed he had to run after her.

"Sorry! I just can't face you right now!" She apologised over her shoulder, still continuously running.

He continued to chase her for a short while before abruptly stopping. "This is getting a bit ridiculous. Can you stop running? If you continue to, I won't go after you."

The authority in his voice, alongside his resolve, gave her pause to stop. She clutched her hand close to her chest as she turned slowly towards him. "I'm... sorry..."

"You've nothing to feel sorry for," He comforted her tenderly, smiling kindly at her. "If the tables were turned, I'd be running away for sure."

"No, it's not the kiss that has me all worried," She began softly, "it's the part afterward."

"The part where I asked you to tell me how you felt?"

He assumed her silence meant he was correct. She averted her eyes, her heart pounding inside her chest.

"We met in a forest just like this one, didn't we?" The Second Prince murmured softly in remembrance as he looked up at the clear, blue sky. He shifted his gaze back to her, giving her a slight smile. "Why don't we talk for a bit? I know a good place here for us to go."

She nodded twice, either unable or unwilling to say anything to him. He took the lead as he led them both towards the place and with the pace he had in mind.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! The diplomatic matter with Kiharu's people was resolved peacefully," Zen offered a bit of chit-chat as they walked together. "We've both mutually agreed to have a few birds and their bird-handlers sent over to Clarines to better train the soldiers on how to use the birds."

"That's wonderful news," She responded back politely. "I'm happy that Kiharu's wish was granted."

"As am I."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, both not sure what to say. They soon reached his intended spot; a stone clearing that was evidently bare, sa"Sove for a few benches. He led her to one of the aforementioned benches, but instead of taking a seat beside her, he sat down on the stone-hard floor beside her bench. They let the wind envelop their senses for a few moments.

"So, do you like this place?" Shirayuki decided to break the silence, clenching her fists close to her skirt.

"No. I haven't for a long time," He answered her honestly, his eyes closed as his bangs swished from side-to-side. "I used to have horseback training in this very spot, so it soon became stressful for me after a time."

The gentle rustle of leaves as they hovered with the wind gave the scene a surreal, fairy-tale-vibe. "That's how I felt about this place before I met you. Now that I've taken you here, it's become less stressful and more stress-relieving. You have a way of making something awful into something wonderful."