Pie. Apple pie. The scent of apple pie lingered in the air around Zen, forcing him to smile despite his sleeping state. As the scent stayed around for longer, only coming closer and closer, Zen's eyes started to open. Slowly but surely and one by one, his eyes fluttered open to see a bright light shining in his face. Wincing a little bit, Zen narrowed his eyes until a figure came into view. However, that was all he was able to see. The figure was being drawn out by the lighting so he couldn't see the face or any features of the figure. The only thing he could tell was that it was an angel...

"...Wha..." Zen mumbled quietly as his eyes narrowed more until the shining figure, the angel, came more into actual view. Red hair. His angel had red hair. Had they come to retrieve him from his body? Bring him to heaven? Or possibly even hell. He would prefer heaven though.

"Hi Zen." The angel spoke. The voice...it was familiar. It was eerily familiar yet comforting at the same time. Zen only watched as the angel moved over to the side until she came into full focus, revealing her entire face.

"Sh-Shirayuki!" Zen yelled with wide eyes as the face shown flashed in his memories. Pictures of her and him danced along his head as he continued to stare, not even sure if this was real.

"Hi." She repeated with a big grin on her face. Zen didn't care if it was real or not as the smile took a hold of his heart and warmed it up.

Despite the aching pain in his shoulders and his back screaming at him to stop, Zen sat up and wrapped his arms around Shirayuki. Every ounce of him was telling him to stop and to pull back. To lie down again and relax, go back to sleep. But Zen ignored it and pulled Shirayuki into a tight hug, not daring to let go. If he let go then it might all fade away. He might wake up from the dream.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked quietly and wrapped her delicate hands around his back, letting them rest on the fabric of his bandages. Her small finger started to trace circles on his back, on the bandages as Zen pulled her closer.

"Don't worry about me, what about you? Are you okay? How are you here?" He asked her and he dug his face into her hair.

"I'm fine." Shirayuki replied and sighed softly as her head found comfort on his shoulder, "And Mitsuhide found me."

"How?" Zen asked. He didn't like questioning the fact on how she was able to be held in his arms again but he was curious...He doubted he got those forty lashes after passing out. They couldn't force it out if the woman either so he was very curious.

"A man, I think they said it was a messenger, told them where he thought I could be. Apparently he saw you heroically take a bit for a child and took pity on you, master."

Zen jerked his eyes over, but didn't move his head in fear of making Shirayuki uncomfortable, to see who was speaking. The man standing beside them didn't surprise Zen at all.

"Feeling better, Obi?" Zen asked as a slight smile grew on his face at the sight of his friend.

"Yeah, do I get a tender hug too, master?" He asked with a light smirk on his face as he watched the two.

"Only if you're as adorable as Shirayuki." Zen mumbled then held Shirayuki a bit tighter as the girl giggled.

"Well then I think I do get one." Obi said with a big grin before barging in on their hug by wrapping his arms around them both. Zen let out a light sigh but didn't argue it, as long as he had Shirayuki in his arms.

"Are your injuries okay?" Shirayuki mumbled as Obi continued to force their tender and sweet hug into a group hug.

"Maybe. I don't know." Zen muttered with another sigh but he still didn't care. The pain in his shoulders was tearing at his skin but none of it mattered as Shirayuki was beside him again. "What about yours?" He asked as the memory of the second note popped into his head and his eyes fell down to her foot. They were all bandaged up and there was a chair behind her that he hadn't noticed before. Frowning, Zen pulled his head back a bit so he could look at Shirayuki to make sure this hug wasn't hurting her.

"My foot is broken but I got some better medicine applied to it and took a painkiller tea." Shirayuki explained and turned her head so she could look back at Zen.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked, staring at her still with the frown on his face.

"No." Shirayuki told him then hugged him a little tighter, "I'm fine. You however..."

"You got hurt pretty badly." Obi finished Shirayuki's sentence, pulling himself back into conversation, "That was pretty reckless of you master." he went on, "But pretty awesome at the same time," he grinned.

Zen sighed and glanced away, just grateful that Shirayuki wasn't there to see him. Wasn't there to see him be weak...to be defeated.

"You shouldn't have done it..." Shirayuki mumbled with a frown growing on her own face, her finger just feeling the fabric of his bandages instead. Her hand slowly relaxed on his back, laying flat over the bandages put she didn't apply any pressure to it. She just let it lay there.

"I would do it again in a heartbeat." Zen stated quickly, his eyes glued onto hers, "If it meant that you would be safe."

He watched with a smile as a blush grew on her neck and she turned away, not daring to argue him. He didn't mind it though, after all, everything he said was true. He may have doubted it during the pain but he knew that he would do it again just as long as Shirayuki was okay. He would do anything for her.

"So what happened to them?" Zen asked, bringing his attention to Obi while changing the subject so his red haired angel wouldn't be as embarrassed, "The messenger and the woman I mean."

"Oh, Ason and Dacko?" Obi questioned, saying the names that Zen never actually learned, "Well Ason is in jail but since Dacko gave us the information, or at least where he suspected she would be and she was, he was let free. We told him not to do it again and he apologized. He was pretty nice actually. Really apologetic about what happened. Apparently he was a childhood friend of Ason's and had to watch her suffer through her father's death and got mad at you too."

He took a breath before going on.

"But he said that he didn't agree to any whipping. He just wanted the items so it could help her family finaniaclly since they're doing pretty bad now. He didn't even know she had the idea of whipping. That's what he said at least." Obi added in at the end.

"And I believe him." Shirayuki nodded.

Obi shrugged, "Yeah I did too. He was really upset. Then when he saw you take a hit for the kid, he had second thoughts."

"Hm." Zen mumbled with a light frown but let the information sink in. The messenger, Kiki hurt him. Not as much as the woman, Ason, of course but he still didn't give up anything even with being hurt. Part of Zen believed that this was part of a plan. That there was no good fortune, no change of heart. Something was wrong. Yet that part washed away quickly when he saw the smile on Shirayuki's face. Despite what she had gone through, there was still a smile plastered onto her face. A smile that could light up the entire world if it so pleased.

"Master?" Obi questioned, watching as Zen didn't speak anymore.

Letting out a light sigh, Zen glanced back at Obi and just gave him a nod, "Alright. Get someone to keep an eye on Ason though okay? I don't trust her."

"Okay." Obi replied as he let the two go from the group hug then just sat beside them on the bed.

"And how are your injuries?" Zen asked while eyeing the bandages that were wrapped around his shoulders. Though he had already seen him before, Zen didn't see him moving around or walking for that matter. He had been at the healer's office for some time to get his wound better. It seemed to have worked though, he only winced a little when his arms moved.

"Much better. Our herbalists are great." Obi complimented and gave Shirayuki a thumbs up, not bothering to listen to her arguments about her not even being there, "Our healer is kind of rough though."

"I'm sure she is." Zen replied with a snort. He didn't have much of an opinion of the woman but she did seem like she could...easily take someone down if she needed to. She was never rough with Zen though. Most likely since he was the prince and all.

"So mean too." Obi added and nodded as he pouted slightly, "She kept insulting me and insisted that I should've been able to do better. Should've been able to dodge it. Like she's ever dodged anything in her life!" Obi exclaimed angrily as he threw his hands up in the air.

Zen smiled and shook his head lightly, not noticing the blonde entering his room. The footsteps were soft and barely audible, the only one that actual caught it was Obi. When the brunette looked up at the sound of the noise, he saw the first prince inside Zen's bedroom.

"Hello." The man greeted, making Zen and Shirayuki jerk their heads up a bit.

Zen's eyes narrowed as he stared at his brother who was casually standing in front of them all. His face wasn't soft, but it wasn't exactly stern either. It was more formal. His eyes however...Zen could see through his eyes. He wasn't too pleased about something but he was hiding it in front of company in Zen's room.

"Um..." Zen started as he frowned, glancing down at Shirayuki. He didn't want to ask her to leave. No...scratch that. He didn't want her to leave, he was terrified of her leaving his arms again. Of the same thing happening over and over again. He never wanted to lose her, to even risk losing her. He needed her.

"I think we should go." Obi spoke the dreaded words as he placed a hand on Shirayuki. The red haired girl was hesitant at first but she ended up nodded and letting go of Zen. She pushed herself off of him the fell back, landing on the chair she had been on before. Obi stood up and off up the bed then brought him self over to Shirayuki. With a light smile, he lifted her up bridal style and started to carry her out with her cast completely visible to Zen.

He watched as she was carried out of the room then Obi used his leg to close the door behind him, leaving just Zen and his brother in the room.

"What do you want?" Zen asked as he turned his gaze back over to Izana, not trying to be polite anymore. Not when he had gotten Shirayuki torn from his grasp when Zen hadn't held her in so long. He had been tortured with fear before and he wanted to have held her more. To keep her with him. Yet it was his brother's fault for her being out of his arms.

"That was a stupid move." Izana deadpanned as he kept his eyes focused on Zen, letting them become stern, no longer needing to hold them back.

Zen didn't reply, instead he just held his brother's gaze. He didn't let any expression, any emotion, show on his face. He just kept it formal and casual, a poker face, as he stared at Izana. He knew first hand that his brother was very manipulative, even if it was for what he believed was best.

"You're lucky." He continued on, Zen hiding the surprise he held from the mere words, "That the guard was there for you. His words were what got the crowd riled up, what wanted them to protect you. No one saw you as weak after the guard talked. It was strange, to be honest." Izana stated.

"So?" Zen questioned with a frown, wondering what the point of this was.

"Don't do it. You don't know if you'll be lucky like that again." Izana pointed out as he crossed his arms before getting softer, "Be more careful next time."

"I will." Zen assured him with a nod.

"Good." Izana mumbled and nodded back at him before he turned on his heel. With an graceful walk, Izana made his way over to the door and opened it up. Obi, Shirayuki, Kiki, and Mitsuhide were revealed on the opposite side of the door but Izana only gave them a polite nod. He said nothing as he walked past them and out the door, allowing it to close behind him.

The group was silent as they entered. Mitsuhide and Kiki went to stand at the end of the bed but Obi didn't quite care. Instead, he went straight for the bed without hesitation. First, he placed Shirayuki in Zen's lap despite her blush then took a seat beside him. He sent a glance over at Kiki and Mitsuhide who weren't even surprised by his antics. Obi sent them a grin in reply to their non spoken words.

"I'm fine." Zen mumbled as he wrapped his arms around Shirayuki's waist, sending his gaze over to his two friends at the end of the bed. Their eyes immediately tore away from the silent conversation they were having with Obi and over to the prince.

Kiki was the first of them to speak. "Are you sure?" Kiki asked with a frown upon her lips, "He seemed a bit mad when I saw him walking down the hallways."

"It's fine. He just wanted to talk." Zen explained a little, "I'm not in trouble or anything."

"Are you sure?" Kiki asked with an expression of disbelief.

He nodded, "Certain."

A long pause rained over the group as their eyes were locked on Zen, but his weren't on them anymore. His eyes were focused on Shirayuki's and hers were in his as well.

"Um...we're going to leave now." Kiki mumbled with a frown as she turned and started to walk. Mitsuhide got the hint and walked alongside her to the door, sending a look back at Obi. Though reluctant, Obi pushed himself off the bed again and made his way over to the door. He threw in some fake winces and painful noises but neither of them listened, they knew he was a faker. Within a few seconds, the threesome left despite their short time in the room.

Sighing, Zen smiled at Shirayuki and pulled her closer. "Hi." He said.

"Hi." She replied, her arms wrapped around her neck.

Zen continued to smile at her before he pulled back then started to lay sideways. Shirayuki squeaked in front of him and the pain in Zen's shoulders only enflared but he kept going until he was laying sideways on the silky blankets of the bed.

Shirayuki let out a small sigh as well but stopped fighting it after he had completed his goal, to lie down. Neither of them talked, neither of them had to. There was a comfortable silence among them as the redhead's eyes closed. The corner of Zen's lips moved upwards until he was smiling again, his eyes soft as he stared at Shirayuki. His body felt warmer with her in his arms, more comfortable, more alive. His pain was soothed just by the small sounds of her breathing, the reassurance of her being alive.

With a smile still glued onto his lips, Zen allowed his own eyes to close and he slept peacefully...for the first time in a long time.