AN: Yeah I haven't posted in the while because I have been drafting this for the looongest time ever. Anyways, I loved Akagami no Shirayuki-hime both the manga and anime, and since there are not a lot of ZenYuki fics out there I thought that I might as well throw my two cents in as well. This will be shorter than my other multi chapter fic (for Fairy Tail called Thirteen Elements, undergoing major writers/block and rewriting) but hopefully the next update will be within the next...two-three months-ish? Anyways, read and enjoy! R&R with and feedback or comments.

~Alice

"Shirayuki!" Garrack called from her desk. Surprised that the red-haired pharmacist hadn't replied she looked around. "Ryuu, have you seen Shirayuki?"

"I think she was in the herb gardens, monitoring the herbs that we planted a couple weeks back," Ryuu replied, not looking up from his notes. Garrack sighed, but what could she do? Ryuu was simply being himself, and no matter how much she coddled him, it wasn't going to change anything. Deciding that it would be best to stretch her legs, Garrack strolled towards the palace greenhouse.

"These need to be moved to a cooler environment, so perhaps we'll transfer them to the hillside garden. Aqueducts are doing fine…herbs all appear to be in good condition. Now to check the soil quality…" Shirayuki mumbled to herself as she carefully noted her observations. Humming to herself, she busied herself with running the soil through her fingers.

Unbeknownst to her, Zen had silently snuck onto the roof of the greenhouse. As he peered through the glass panels, he chuckled when she started jumping around as she worked, dancing to some inaudible tune she was humming.

A rustle from the forest surrounding the gardens caught him by surprise. Jumping down from the roof he carefully placed a hand on his sword. He had learned his lesson the first time, so he cautiously circled the entrance, but did not enter the greenhouse. "Your Highness, will you please let got of the weapon?" Zen jumped around, coming face to face with none other than the chief pharmacist herself.

"Oh, it's just you," Zen said, relaxing. "What's going on?"

"Never mind what I'm doing, Your Highness, don't you have a meeting in about five minutes?" Garrack asked curiously.

"I assure you that I do not have—" Zen paused for a second, before the realization that he was probably going to horribly late and scolded by Kiki, Mitsuhide, or even worse, Izana, set in. "Well then, I must be going. Good day to you, Chief pharmacist!" he called before sprinting back to the palace with all his might.

Garrack shook her head and laughed to herself. Knocking on the door of the grass door she called, "Shirayuki!"

The red haired girl jumped, before turning to face Garrack. "Chief Pharmacist! What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you could go out and pick some herbs for me," Garrack replied. When it looked like Shirayuki was about to protest, she quickly added, "Don't worry I'll have somebody else finish up the greenhouse."

Sighing in relief, Shirayuki wiped the sweat off her forehead. "What herb do you need?"

"The usual for colds and stomach pains, we're running a little low on that. Also if you could ingredients for a painkilling salve," Garrack listed. She patiently waited for Shirayuki to quickly jot the list down before adding, "Also as many Kariguna plants as possible."

"What herb is that, Garrack-san?" Shirayuki asked.

"Well, it's a pretty rare one, so I brought a picture of it." Garrack took a small piece of parchment from the pocket of her coat. A detailed sketch of a nine-petalled flower with a spikey yet curvy stalk was drawn on it. "This is the Kariguna flower. It's extremely useful in medicines and salves that treat infections."

"I haven't seen it before when I went to gather other herbs," Shirayuki worriedly commented.

"That's the tricky part. It grows on the rocky cliff that we almost never harvest from. Since it's pretty windy up there, I can't say that we haven't lost anyone to it before. Although it's not that bad of a fall, the cliff face is chalk full of sharp rocks, and there are noralia vines down there," Garrack admitted.

"Noralia? I think I once read a bit about it while helping Ryuu with his research. It has a rough skin that contains a toxin, and it's sap contains the toxin in a more concentrated form," Shirayuki worriedly commented.

"Yes, and if you land on and possibly snap them after getting all roughed up by the cliff face…well I can't guarantee anyone's survival after that," Garrack quietly replied. "But we are almost out of Kariguna, and you know the woods very well. Think of it as your second initiation. Back when I was promoted to full pharmacist, I didn't have a lot of work until after I successfully harvested the Kariguna."

Although Garrack had done her best to dissuade Shirayuki's fear, the young pharmacist still looked uncertain about the task ahead. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. I'll even give you the day off tomorrow." Smiling deviously she added, "I also heard that His Highness is also relatively free tomorrow."

"No problem Garrack-san! I'll just go grab my pack and then I'll be off!" Shirayuki shouted as she dashed towards the pharmaceutical wing. "Also if Zen comes looking for me, tell him I'm going to be out late!"

Chuckling to herself, Garrack muttered, "Sometimes I swear both of them are love-struck idiots."

Shirayuki took her time walking through the woods, occasionally bending down to pick some herbs to add to her basket. Something wet hit her shoulder. Looking up, she noticed storm clouds in the distance. I better hurry up and get the Kariguna plants. I can always come back for the other herbs tomorrow, she thought to herself. She quickly picked up her basket and ran towards the cliff.

The rain became heavier the more she ran. Soon her clothes were soaked through, she could barely see in front of her. Up ahead she caught a glimpse of a tangle of vines, with nine petals on each flower. Elated, she sprinted towards the flowers, only the slip and fall past them. Flailing her arms he attempted to catch herself, but was only met with air. She saw lightning flash, and then the only thing that she felt was pain.

Zen sat on the windowsill of his chambers. He could hear the thunder roaring outside, and the rain pounding on the window. Although he knew Shirayuki knew the woods like the back of her hand, he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had. Don't worry about it, Zen, he chided himself. It's not like she'll get injured, after all she trained in the mountains. Knowing her, she's probably already gotten back.

Garrack was pacing around her office. She hadn't seen Shirayuki at all, and she had yet to receive the herbs. Although it was early in the morning, she knew that the cheery red-haired girl would've woken up early to hand over the herbs so that she could spend more time with her beloved prince. Perhaps Shirayuki had overslept, or forgotten that she had the day off, and was helping Ryuu find a book for research. As she was about to go check on the youngest pharmacist, Zen burst into the room.

"Have you seen Shirayuki?" he asked desperately, he eyes quickly scanning the entire room.

"No, Your Highness. Why?" Garrack asked worriedly.

"We agreed to meet in front of the castle, since I had the day off. She was late so I went to check on her, but her chambers were completely empty this morning, it was like she hadn't slept there all night!" Zen replied anxiously.

"Quickly, follow me Your Highness," Garrack breathlessly commanded as she ran towards Ryuu's office. Throwing open the door, she yelled, "Shirayuki!"

Ryuu looked up at her. "I thought today was her day off," he said.

Garrack gasped as she realized what had happened to the red-haired pharmacist. "Get a search party Your Highness," she hissed as she ran to get salves to treat Shirayuki. Zen stood frozen in the doorway, unsure of what was happening. "She's in danger! Go, now!"

Zen paled and quickly ran towards the nearest guard post. "Guards, get a search and rescue party ready now! We leave in two minutes!"

Shirayuki felt like she was being burnt alive. The harsh light of the sun felt like a branding iron on her body. Every time she inhaled a wave of pain would crash over her and her skin was sticky with blood. Moaning, she tried to shift into a more comfortable position, only to cry out when a dull pain in her torso turned into a sharp, unbearable agony. Tears rolled down her face as she tried to endure the seemingly endless torture.

"Hurry!" Garrack cried out when she heard an agonized scream in the distance. "We're almost to the cliffs!"

"Would you mind telling me why you sent her to such a risky place in the first place?" Zen yelled at the head pharmacist.

"We were running low of Kariguna, which is an essential ingredient in many of the anti-infection salves and medicines we make," Garrack replied. Coming to a halt, she gazed at the cliffs for a moment, before quickly dismounting from her horse and carefully walking to the edge. Zen followed after over. Peering over, they both seemed to freeze for a moment before Garrack called out to the palace guards behind her. "Get some rope over here, now!"

Garrack tied the cord around her waist. The guards looked at her, puzzled as to what she was trying to do. "Lower me down," she ordered, after adjusting the bag containing various jars and vials. When the guards seemed stunned she screamed, "Lower me down, unless you want a palace pharmacist to die!" Just as she was about to start her descent, Zen grabbed her wrist.

"I'm coming with you," he growled. Somehow he had already gotten a rope tied around his waist as well. Garrack nodded her reluctant assent, knowing that if she didn't let him go now, he would simply order her to allow him to accompany her.

Shirayuki thought that she heard footfalls above her. Which wouldn't make sense, since she was at the bottom of a steep cliff. Confused, she tried to move towards the noise, which only made the pain worse. When she felt a sharp pain in her side, she couldn't hold back the scream that ripped itself from her lips. She heard a familiar voice cursing before it called out to her, "Shirayuki!" Zen? I thought he was at the palace, she thought to herself. As she tried to once again to move towards the footfalls that were nearing her, she once again cried out in pain.

"Don't be stubborn Shirayuki-kun!" Garrack shouted. "You're already covered in noralia toxins, don't agitate the vines or your wounds any further!" She and Zen hurriedly finished the descent, and carefully picked their way through the tangles of thorny vines.

Zen flinched as they neared Shirayuki. She was worse that she had appeared to be from a distance. Now he could clearly see the thousands of tiny scratches that marred her skin, and the gash that ran from her hip to her shoulder. Pausing for a second to compose himself, he knelt down, cautiously avoiding thorns, to gently cup her cheek. "Thank goodness," he hoarsely said as tears ran down his face. "I thought that I had lost you." He gently wiped away the grime and blood that stained her cheeks.

"Zen," Shirayuki whimpered as tears began to pool in her clouded eyes. I'm sorry for leaving you, she thought, unable to voice her feelings with her dry throat.

"Shhhh, it's fine," he soothed, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I forgive you for leaving my side." Grabbing a small flask of water, he tilted her head up. "Drink." The water felt like a cool spring to Shirayuki, and she seemed to relax slightly.

"Shirayuki, I'm going to apply some salve to your wounds," Garrack said, distracting her momentarily from Zen. "It may feel a little painful, but please bear with it." Zen silently grasped her hand, and Shirayuki gratefully squeezed it back. Garrack expertly wiped a light-green salve onto the larger cuts and gashes. Shirayuki began to shift slightly, causing Garrack to pause to ask, "Does it hurt?"

"It only stings," Shirayuki croaked out. Turning away, Garrack frowned as she began to apply the salve on Shirayuki's legs. The younger pharmacist's reaction worried her. Usually the salve she was using would cause unbearable pain as it destroyed herbal toxins. However, Shirayuki barely seemed to feel anything other than a slight sting. The noralia toxin was probably running rampant in her bloodstream by now.

Finished with the salve, Garrack quickly reached into her bag for a vial of clear liquid. "Shirayuki-kun, I'm going to give you a painkiller. It should dull the pain for now," she said. Giving the vial to Zen, she allowed the prince to give some comfort to his beloved pharmacist.

Just before she closed her eyes, Shirayuki held out her clenched fist to Garrack. Blinking in surprise, the head pharmacist opened her palm to receive what Shirayuki desperately wanted to give her. Garrack's eyes widened as she saw the crumpled stalks of Kariguna resting in her hand. She's too stubborn for her own good, Garrack though forlornly as she carefully tucked the herbs in her satchel.

As Zen galloped through the woods, he held Shirayuki tightly. Even though the wind was sharp against his skin, he could feel her shallow breaths. Zen wrapped his cloak around both of them when he felt her shiver. "Please stay with me Shirayuki, only a little longer. I swear, it's only a couple more minutes," he pleaded. Shirayuki squeezed his hand weakly as if she were trying to reassure him that she would stay. Noticing her weak grip, Zen urged his horse to gallop faster.

"Zen!" Mitsuhide shouted as soon as the prince's horse galloped through the palace gates. As soon as he saw Shirayuki's limp form in Zen's arms, he dropped the papers he had previously been carrying and ran over to the returning horses. Upon seeing Zen's worrisome expression, he immediately said, "I'll go alert His Majesty that you will be occupied for the rest of the day." The prince nodded his assent gratefully before running towards Shirayuki's chambers.

"Kiki-san," Garrack called. "Can you please find Ryuu and tell him to go to Shirayuki's chambers?"

"Of course," Kiki briskly replied before running off towards the pharmaceutical wing of the palace. Garrack quickly turned around to follow the prince.

Zen was surprised at the efficiency of the head pharmacist. Not even a minute had passed after he placed Shirayuki on her bed before Ryuu burst into the chambers with a large bag over his shoulder. "Prince," Ryuu panted as he ran over to her bedside. "What happened to Shirayuki?"

"She was going to gather herbs for the head pharmacist, and she fell off a cliff with noralia at the bottom," Zen curtly replied. Ryuu's face furrowed into a small frown as he began to examine Shirayuki's battered form. "Did head pharmacist apply a salve when you found her?" he asked. Zen nodded. "Did it cause her any pain?"

"She said that it only stung a little bit," Zen curtly replied. Ryuu seemed to slouch a little more before continuing his work. Realizing that hovering over Ryuu's shoulder wouldn't do anyone good, Zen started to pace the length of the room.

"You're going to burn a hole in the carpet, Zen," Kiki bluntly said as she entered the room with a small trolley that was filled to brim with salves and medicines of all kinds. Wheeling it over to Ryuu, she tapped the young pharmacist's shoulder. Ryuu nodded his thanks as he began to examine the various remedies available. Sighing in frustration when the Prince did not stop his worried pacing Kiki leaned against the windowsill.

"Your brother has released for the rest of your duties today," Mitsuhide said as he stepped into the room. "But, he expects you to continue with them as usual starting tomorrow afternoon. Oi, Zen, are you listening?"

"Yes, yes, I understand, Mitsuhide," Zen absentmindedly replied, waving his hand in dismissal. Realizing that it was a hopeless cause to win back the prince's attention, Mitsuhide walked over to Kiki. The two shared a worried glance before turning back to watch over Zen.

Garrack came shortly later to check in with Ryuu. After listening to a few mumbled sentences from the young boy, the head pharmacist's mouth thinned into a frown and she quickly walked over to where Zen was pacing. "Your majesty," she asked cautiously, "May I have a word?" Zen quickly nodded, immediately alert. "Privately," Garrack added, motioning towards the door.

"How is she?" Zen urgently asked after shutting the door.

"I'll be blunt with you, Your Highness, she's not doing very well right now," Garrack replied. "The preliminary symptoms seemed to have already passed, she has no fever, nor is she in excessive pain due to the toxin."

"Then shouldn't that mean it's already purged from her system?" he countered, clenching his fists.

"Noralia toxin is very durable, it takes up to days to be purged in a solution that is designed specifically to destroy plant toxins. The lack of the more obvious symptoms means that it is already circulating through her blood stream. It won't be obvious at first but the toxin works slowly, in a couple days we may be dealing with potential organ failure, seizures and things that will only harm her further."

"But I recall taking Noralia poison once to build my endurance, how come I didn't experience the same?" Zen asked.

"Firstly because we gave you a dilute form. Secondly because we purged it from your system almost instantly, around half an hour after you swallowed the toxin. With Shirayuki the poison has already been in her blood for at least twelve hours. And her physical condition is different from yours, she's smaller, she overworks herself, and she has a handful of severe wounds to heal on top of trying to maintain her body against the noralia toxin." Garrack sighed unhappily, "Your Highness, we're fighting an uphill battle, and I cannot guarantee that we'll all make it out."

"So what do we do then? We can't just sit here and do nothing?" Zen shouted in frustration.

"The best we can do is try to come up with ways to treat it, which is what Ryuu will be experimenting with in the next few days, but the effect of the antidotes on her body won't be pretty. Besides that, all we can do is try to make her comfortable and…prepare for the worst." Before she broke down into sobs in front of Zen, Garrack quickly excused herself. It was all she could do to hold back her grief for the prince who's beloved pharmacist was slowly dying in front of him.