Always by Your Side: Chapter 1

An Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair) Fanfic

“I don’t like this.”

“It’s fine.” Maybe if she says it enough times, it’ll be true. “We’re just . . . moving a little sooner than expected.” She finishes addressing the medicine-filled envelopes and unties her apron. Her bag is packed, the room clean and awaiting a new owner, and the encoded note written and waiting for its messenger to stop complaining. There’s only one thing left to do.

“Hand me those scissors,” she says.

The cold blades settle in her hand, but his eyes narrow. Her voice hadn’t trembled, but clearly something else betrayed her. “What are you doing?”

She pulls her hair over one shoulder and holds the scissors open just above the ribbon that ties it. “Sending a message.”

The blades slide shut.

She’s known of the instability of her future king for some time now–Prince Raj is often described as spoiled, immature, and irresponsible behind closed doors–but before today she wouldn’t have believed he would send poisoned apples just to convince a woman to become his concubine.

To be fair, she doesn’t know they’re poisoned. She’s just making a logical guess. They could be drugged, after all, or just normal apples, but the prince is known for his thoughtless and dramatic schemes, and she can’t imagine him trying to bribe her with something so simple as an apple.

She’s so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t notice Zen come closer. He leans over and takes a bite out of the apple in her hand before she can stop him. The crunch sounds as a death knell.

She shoots to her feet. “What are you doing?” He’s a prince, she knows he is, she’s not quite as unfamiliar with Clarines as he believes. His life affects thousands of others, and if he should die by the hand of another kingdom’s prince–

“Yeah, Zen,” his aide drawls from the staircase. “That was rude.”

Zen sways slightly, and her heart leaps into her throat, stifling her cry. Her feet turn to stone, and she can’t reach him. Neither of his aides move, and she wants to scream at them. Why can’t they see something’s wrong?

“Shirayuki,” he says slowly. “Don’t eat that apple.”

You idiot! she wants to scream, but she still can’t speak, only watch in horror as he crumples to the floor and his aides run to him. Her mind races through her knowledge of poisons, searching for an antidote, but she’s had so little opportunity for that kind of study.

The door swings open, and Prince Raj’s guard stands in the door. He meets her eyes and his brows raise. “So it wasn’t you who ate the apple?”

“The antidote,” she chokes out, and he gestures out the door.

“The antidote is with his highness. Will you come to see him?”

Her bag holds too few supplies. There’s no way to guarantee she can identify the poison before it’s too late. She sets her jaw and nods at the guard. He steps away from the door, and she follows him outside.

She has a war to prevent.

It was luck that brought her to the second prince of Clarines, though he called it fate.

The irony of running from the offer of one prince straight to another is not lost on her, but, she reminds herself, this is what she wanted. She just . . . didn’t expect it to look like this.

Zen likes her, and so do his aides. They’re surprisingly trusting of someone they’ve known for so little time. He tells the guards to let her into the palace even if he’s not around, and no one questions it. Still, this is only a temporary solution. She will not rely on his power to give her special privileges. She will not be like them.

She would have taken any position necessary, but her heart swells when she sees the pharmacy is looking for apprentices. She doesn’t know how long she’ll stay in the palace, and she wants to spend that time helping people the best way she knows how.

It quickly becomes apparent that her informal study at home will not suffice here. A whole town relied on her at home, but here . . . here is royalty, and they must have the best.

So she finds books and studies every chance she can get, often at the palace. She wants to establish herself as a regular appearance in its halls, even before she becomes an apprentice. She still prefers small cabins or rambunctious taverns, crackling fireplaces, and family close by, but she comes to appreciate the spacious rooms, libraries with books on anything she can imagine, and piles of soft cushions.

And, well . . . she hadn’t expected to actually like Prince Zen.

Everything is surprisingly easy for the first few weeks. She comes every day, gets to know the guards, explores the gardens, and spends time with Zen in his office.

She knew there were people who would not appreciate her presence in the palace, but she assumed they would confront her directly, not hire a hitman.

She’s just returning to the palace to find a book left behind, when she hears someone talking to the guards, telling them Zen has ordered she not go into the palace anymore. She frowns. Who would go to such lengths to keep her out? She knows so few people there, and so far she’s been given no trouble.

Well, first things first: she needs her book back. She can find out who’s conspiring against her later.

She’s halfway up the staircase when the arrow comes.

It buries itself in the wall a foot away from her head. She arches an eyebrow and shoots a look in the direction it came from, but she can’t make out a figure in the trees. She’s dodged arrows far closer than this. It’s like he’s not even trying.

She pulls it out, knowing better than to leave something like this for the guards to find later.

Laxdo is a test for them all. She’s pleased to see how much she’s improved in her studies, but more than that, she’s encouraged by Zen’s care for his people. Only Mitsuhide’s influence kept him from staying in the fort and risking his own health and life to help.

Not wise, certainly, but it gives her hope for the future. She knows none of the royal family in Tanbarun would consider such a thing.

Now, though, things are improving. The once-barren snow surrounding the fort is filled with voices and figures, healing slowly but steadily. They help one another shovel snow, crack jokes, and share food around the fire once again. Even the weakest can walk on his own now. She’s worn out, but it’s worth it to watch them laugh.

Her box slips from her numb fingers. Ah, maybe she needs a nap. She picks it back up and closes her eyes as she gathers the strength to stand again. A mental tally runs through her mind of all the things that need to be done before she can take a minute to rest.

The world tilts and she realizes her feet are no longer solid on the ground. Her stomach drops–

–and then something warm and solid is curled against her back. “I’ve done it now,” a familiar voice rumbles against her. He takes her box and sets her back on her feet.

She sucks in a deep breath, grateful not to be sprawled across the stone path. “Done what?” She reaches for her box, but he lifts it just out of reach.

“Go near you.” A smirk tugs at his lips. “The master’s afraid I might threaten you again.”

She huffs, sending the hair framing her face flying. “That arrow was hardly a threat.” He’s always been too cautious with her and too reckless with himself.

“Try telling him that.” She reaches again, and he pushes her hands aside. “But ignoring his oh-so-sweet concern for the moment, why don’t I take this wherever you need it, and you get some rest?”

“I’m fine. I don’t need rest right now. I have things to do.”

His mouth twists into a frown. “You’re not fine. You nearly passed out on your feet. Maybe I should go get your prince and tell him so.”

She crosses her arms. “If you do, I’ll tell him you were talking to me.” The moment stretches as they stare at each other. They’ve been playing this game since they were children and their secrets were only as dangerous as who snuck an extra cookie and who picked her Oma’s favorite roses.

His gaze flicks away, acknowledging defeat. She always wins. Hard not to when he gets into so much more trouble.

“Good.” She holds out her hands. “Now give me that box.” He does as she asks. He can’t say no to her, and she only takes advantage of that sometimes.

She starts to walk away, but stops when she feels his fingers brush her elbow, warmth seeping through her sleeve. “Get some sleep, please,” he murmurs.

“I’ll be careful,” she promises, though she knows that’s not what he wants. He says nothing, but she can feel his disapproval.

“Oh, and Obi? When you can, would you take a message to my father?” She wrinkles her nose. “I want to let him know how things are going and agree on another drop point close by. I’m sorry. I know I should be the one running messages, but I can’t imagine I’ll be going anywhere near Tanbarun for a long time.”

He sighs, and she doesn’t have to turn around to know he’s kneading his shoulder. “It’s fine. I don’t know when the prince will trust me enough to let me that far, but I’ll take the message as soon as I can. But Shirayuki–”

“You have a job to do,” she interrupts. “You don’t need to worry about me too.”

As she walks away, she can hear him mutter, “I always worry about you.”

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