Ren tapped the edge of the small stack of papers in her hands on her bench, straightening them into a neat pile before securing them with a simple string knot. She sighed contently as the warm sunshine spilled into the Forge onto her hands, having completed her designs for Prince Zen's ceremonial sword in record time; it was turning out to be a beautiful summers day, and it was a shame she had to spend it all indoors working, but that was just what she had to do. She was sure there'd be other days as beautiful as this one where she'd be free of the Forge's roaring fires and air thick with the smell of smoke and steel.

"Hey Otsu," Ren said, turning to look at the man working behind her, "Do you know of anyone I can give my designs too to send them up to the Prince?"

"Your done already?" Otsu asked, continuing once Ren gave him a firm nod and hum of affirmation, "Well let's see… usually I call down one of the messengers, there's always one nearby in case of an emergency."

"Thanks Otsu." Ren said, smiling as she moved over to the door, taking off her apron and exchanging it with her cloak which hung upon the forges coat stand.

"That's what I'd usually do…" Otsu said, his hand on his chin and causing Ren to pause on her way out, "But Prince Zen is not always in his study, and by the time you find a messenger who either knows where the Prince is, or send one to find him themselves well… that could take hours."

"Hours?" Ren said a little incredulously, eyebrow raising.

"Yes, hours." Otsu said, nodding sagely and not looking her in the eye as he said, "It would likely be far quicker and easier for you to deliver your designs to him yourself."

If its going to take a messenger hours to find him, then what makes me any different? It would be the same amount of time either way, and I'm sure the messengers of this palace have a better idea of the kind of places Prince Zen would be if he's not in his study… Ren thought a little disparagingly as she stared at Otsu.

"I dunno Otsu…" She said. She was reluctant to meet Prince Zen in person again after her revelation a few days ago, and so she tried to reason with him instead, "If it really is going to take hours, I wouldn't want to leave the Forge for so long and abandon all my work just to deliver these personally."

As she gestured with the papers in her hand Ren was convinced she had reasoned with him enough to make him forget his odd suggestion; Otsu was a workaholic, and expected his apprentice to work hard during her shifts too. Ren never slacked off and she was sure today would be no exception but-

"Nonsense!" Otsu exclaimed, a large grin spreading across his cheeks, "It's not like we're drowning in commissions at the moment, and besides, it'll show the Prince how passionate you are about this project! You'll be able to answer any questions he has immediately too, and make any notes you need on his thoughts about your designs! You'll be able to start making the thing far quicker this way, much less hassle."

Seemingly very proud of his own reasoning, Ren just sighed; this was not a battle she was going to win, as once Otsu had made up his mind about something, there would be no changing it.

"Alright," Ren said, making Otsu only smile wider in victory, "I'll deliver the designs to the Prince myself. But don't go blaming me if it does take hours to find him!" Ren finished, pointing accusatorily at Otsu before leaving the forge in search of one Prince Zen.

As it turns out, it took Ren about fifteen minutes to find Prince Zen; not knowing where exactly his study was located, she had stopped a messenger who was passing by and asked him for directions. The messenger (as Ren had predicted) told her Zen spent his Thursday mornings practicing his swordplay, and so was not currently in his study. Whilst the man hadn't known the Princes exact location, he gave her a few common locations for her to look for him in. He'd also offered to take her designs to him for her, having spotted them in her hands, but deciding it was best for her to do as Otsu wanted, she reluctantly declined.

One of those locations was a roofed courtyard, open on one side to the expansive gardens with wide, supporting columns lining the open wall, and this was where she found Prince Zen, training with Kiki and Mitsuhide just as the messenger had said.

As Ren approached the open wall from the path below, she spotted a mop of red hair standing by one of the columns, another familiar profile standing on the other side of them. Her eyes widened slightly before an easy smile graced her lips.

"Shirayuki," Ren greeted cheerfully as she ascended the steps to the training area, coming to stand beside the girl in question who turned to face her at the greeting.

"Ren!" Shirayuki said, surprised but happy in her own greeting to the girl, her eyes also widening before smiling pleasantly; Obi looked over at the girl after the mention of her name. "It's good to see you. What brings you here?" Shirayuki asked.

"I'm just here to deliver some designs to Prince Zen," She replied, gesturing to the papers in her hands, "What about you?"

"I have the day off so I'm spending it with Zen and the others. I'm just watching them train at the moment though." Shirayuki said with a slight shrug and embarrassed laugh as she looked over to the trio fighting it out on the courtyard.

Ren also looked their way, and after a while she said with a puzzled frown, "I'm not an expert on sword fighting but… isn't Prince Zen loosing?"

Shirayuki laughed for a moment before letting out a brief sigh, saying with an exasperated smile on her face, "Zen decided to challenge both Kiki and Mitsuhide at the same time…"

"And I bet the Master's regretting that decision." Obi added with a smirk as he watched the spar continue in front of them.

They all laughed together at that, Obi and Ren nodding to each other in greeting from their positions either side of Shirayuki as they did so.

Just then the spar ended, Kiki and Mitsuhide's wooden swords pointed directly at Zen's throat and the Prince leaning back, his sword useless at his side; there was no way out of this one, anyone could see that.

Shirayuki finished her giggling and began to clap her hands in congratulations for the two guards, Obi and Ren slowly joining in after her, their laughter also continuing at the embarrassed and defeated look on Zen's face as the swords were lowered and he was allowed to straighten once more.

At the sound of their clapping and laughter, the trio looked over at them, and smiling began to make their way over; though Zen's smile took a little longer to materialise than the others.

"Congratulations Master!" Obi laughed as he clapped one final time, Zen now standing before him.

"Oh, be quiet Obi." Zen grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he looked off to the side, though all could tell his admonition was in good nature.

"Of course, Master." Obi said, bowing dramatically as his smirk continued to reached his voice despite his feeble attempts to hide it.

Zen rolled his eyes and instead focused on the new arrival to his audience:

"Ren, right?" He asked, his brow furrowing in concentration.

She only nodded, caught off guard by the sudden question directed at her. Her eyes widened briefly however as she remembered her position here and she hurriedly cleared her throat, holding out the small pile of designs in front of her saying, "I'm sorry to have interrupted you, Prince Zen, but I just came by to give you my designs for your new ceremonial sword."

Zen blinked for a moment, taking the designs which were held out in front of him with a surprised expression on his face. He looked down at them blankly, but then he untied the string and began to look through them, one by one, his expression turning to one of curiosity. As he did so he said, "Wow. I didn't expect you to do this so fast," He paused in his movements for a moment before looking up at her once more, "Or to deliver them yourself."

"Yes, well…" Ren said, struggling to explain why she hadn't just sent them via messenger, as was usually done to save the Court Blacksmith time. Her fingers twisted together slightly as she decided to just be honest, "Otsu… recommended I give them to you myself." She glanced off to the side, glaring slightly as though Otsu were standing there himself. "And besides," She continued cordially, looking back at the Prince, "I can answer any questions or queries you may have about my designs this way, instead of having to send a messenger back and forth."

That crafty bastard… Obi thought, his forehead creasing and a disbelieving smirk on his lips. He's going to make that 'Fate' happen himself, isn't he? So much for us figuring it out on our own, huh. He chuckled quietly to himself, going unnoticed by the others gathered there.

"I see…" Zen said in slight wonder, a tinge of confusion entering his expression.

"Oh!" Ren said suddenly, gesturing with her hands frantically, "B-but you don't have to make a decision on the design right now! I know your busy, so take all the time you need, I just thought I could answer any initial questions you may have if I delivered them to you myself!"

Zen's face slackened slightly before he smiled warmly at her, also gesturing slightly with his hand saying, "There's no need to worry Ren, I was simply curious. I understand. Thank you for taking the time to deliver these to me personally."

Ren's shoulders relaxed as she released a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness. And it was no trouble, really."

Shirayuki piped up then, looking at the designs in Zen's hands, her head titled slightly with curiosity, "I didn't know you were getting a new ceremonial sword Zen."

"My Lord Brother thought I needed a new one…" Zen grumbled, glancing off to the side, before he mumbled with a pout, "My old ones just fine."

Ren found herself furrowing her brow once more at this odd situation. Zen's current ceremonial sword really was fine, she had seen it herself when they had come to request the new sword, and apart from not being cared for correctly the workmanship on it was excellent. What exactly had prompted Prince Izana to request another be made? Was there some large-scale event approaching that only the First Prince knew about? One with plenty of noble dignitaries to impress at various balls and banquets, all for the sake of keeping the peace and amicable relationships between kingdoms? Was having a new ceremonial sword really of such importance to such things? Did keeping the peace all depend on her success in forging this sword?!

Ren shook her head briefly; those sorts of thoughts and questions were not helping her already high levels of nervousness; whatever Izana's reasons were, she had to focus on the job at hand, not why. As she prepared to ask Zen if he had any questions, Mitsuhide released an earth shatteringly loud sneeze:

A-CHOO!

One which made them all jump in surprise. As the others began to laugh and poke fun at the poor man, Ren suddenly recalled one of the days she had unknowingly come into contact with the Prince and his aides. That sneeze sounded familiar…

"Are you alright Mitsuhide?" Ren asked with obvious concern on her face; far more than was warranted for a simple sneeze.

"Hm?" Mitsuhide's eyes widened a little, "Yes, I'm alright. Just a little dust probably. You don't need to be so concerned Ren." He laughed a little, his hand resting on his hip.

"Oh, I know…" She shrugged with a small smile, "It's just your sneezes are so loud… that surely can't be normal! Perhaps you should get Shirayuki to check you over, just in case?"

"Oh, that's really not necessary-" Mitsuhide tried to politely decline as he waved his hands in front of him and smiled awkwardly, but Ren interrupted him:

"After all, you just might end up revealing yours and Prince Zen's position when your eavesdropping on someone! Sneezing at such a tense time would surely frighten them away, or worse!" Ren's expression was earnest, but Obi's showed the beginnings of realisation; he was soon grinning as the others too caught on to what she was referencing. "You wouldn't want people to find out the Prince had been eavesdropping on them from his balcony, would you? What kind of picture does that paint for future employees wandering the grounds?"

Ren's small smirk had begun to break through her guise of concern, though Obi's was on full display now as mischievous glee danced in his excited eyes. Mitsuhide's face however was taking on a red blush, his entire posture screaming of someone who had been caught red-handed. Zen and Kiki's faces were rather shocked as well; they all suddenly recognised the cloak and flash of half green hair from that day. Shirayuki was understandably lost in this entire conversation.

"It-It was you- on the exam day- I, erm-" Mitsuhide stuttered, his hands still raised from earlier, frozen in place.

"Zen," Shirayuki said with a note of disapproval in her kind but confused tone, "you've been eavesdropping on workers in the palace? You've been eavesdropping on Ren…?"

Zen jumped slightly in panic, turning to her and frantically shaking his head, "No, no! It's not like that, really! Ren here was just talking about when we happened to listen in on her during her exam and Mitsuhide sneezed revealing we had been eavesdropping from my studies balcony and-" As he had been desperately trying to explain himself, Shirayuki eyes had narrowed and seeing this he panicked and decided to backtrack as quickly as possible. "I-I don't make a habit of eavesdropping on palace workers- on anyone, at all! I swear Shirayuki! We just heard shouts coming from outside and went out to see what the trouble was that's all! We didn't mean to eavesdrop!" Shirayuki merely hummed, her eyes still narrowed as she studied his expression, hands on her hips. Eventually she spoke, straightening her posture:

"That doesn't mean you should continue to listen for what sounds like a long time." She lightly reprimanded, "I might not know the full story but it sounds like your eavesdropping upset Ren! People can be very private about conversations with certain individuals you know that." Zen rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously as he looked at his feet.

Ren blushed a little at Shirayuki's reprimand; she had wanted to get a little pay back for them eavesdropping on her argument with Cynthia, as she was still a little annoyed that they had, seeing as she had poured so much out in that confrontation, not knowing they had been there through it all… she may have nearly run them over with Buttercup, but that was an accident! They had chosen to eavesdrop on her, and Shirayuki was right; they should know better, and so Ren had decided to teach them a lesson in manners. She had thought she'd put on a convincing act, but Shirayuki seemed to see into the core of everyone's feelings so easily…

Ren was beginning to wish she hadn't brought up Mitsuhide's sneeze at all, because Shirayuki was right; she was upset, even if she had been trying to denying it herself by teasing Mitsuhide. She was upset, both at showing such weakness and personal emotion to strangers unknowingly, but also in the fact she was now recalling Cynthia's words and the despair she had felt that day. Before she could apologise for bringing it up in such a manner or at all, a quiet voice spoke up:

"I'm- I'm sorry about the er… sneeze." Mitsuhide said sheepishly, his stare focused on the ground next to him, his face still a vibrant red but his hands finally beginning to lower. "And the eavesdropping. We did hope you were alright after you ran away, but we felt guilty to have caused you that panic, as well. It was wrong of us to listen in for so long."

Kiki was quick to follow suit "I apologise as well, Ren." She bowed her head slightly. "It was rude of us to eavesdrop on such a tense altercation. We truly were concerned with everyone's safety, though I know it was not our business to begin with. Please understand we intended no insult or embarrassment to you by our eavesdropping."

Ren's faced dropped a little in surprise. She hadn't been expecting such an earnest apology. She'd only wanted to tease them and maybe make them a little uncomfortable to teach them a lesson; she hadn't expected all this.

"I want to apologise," Zen said, also bowing his head to her, now composed once more. "I know it was wrong, and we wished you no harm in our eavesdropping. It is not something we have a habit of doing and I promise you it will not happen again."

After a slight pause Ren cleared her throat a little awkwardly, saying "Well… you can consider us even now, Your Highness. Thank you. For the apology, I mean." Zen straightened from his bow with a smile on his face, and Ren nodded to each of them; they were all still a little shocked at this revelation and Ren's brazenness, but they understood it and so returned her nods. "Well, I must get going. Not all of us have the rest of the day off," She laughed a little tensely as she teased Shirayuki lightly, a light blush spreading on her cheeks as she avoided any further eye contact with the group, "Please let me know if you have any further questions, Prince Zen."

With one final bow in the Princes direction Ren turned and jogged down the stairs, making her way back to the forge with slow steps as she became lost in thought.

The group watched her go, but soon Shirayuki was asking what they were going to be doing now.

"Hm…" Obi hummed, his ever-present smirk curling his lips with mischief. "How about a competition?"

"Competition?" Kiki questioned.

"Yeah!" Obi said, "We've already seen that the Master can't beat Mitsuhide and Miss Kiki, but I'd quite like to try." This piqued their interest, though Zen turned slightly sour at the reminder of his sound defeat. "We could do other things too; archery, hand to hand, horse riding… maybe even herb identification for the Miss." He chuckled as he nudged Shirayuki slightly.

She laughed in return, saying "That's a great idea, Obi."

"Sounds good to me too." Kiki said with a light shrug.

"A bit of friendly competition is good for you…" Mitsuhide muttered, hand on his chin, "Zen?"

"…I would like to see who's the best…" Zen said, looking off into space.

Obi grinned and draped his arms across Zen and Mitsuhide's shoulders, "Then its settled! We'll have a big competition and find out which one of us is the best."

Shirayuki had been lost in thought for a little while, but seemed to have come to a sudden realisation as she darted out of the courtyard, the rest moving to just outside it to see where she was running to, the same question on all their lips.

On her slow-paced walk back, Ren's head had been filled with whirring thoughts; foremost of these was her anxiety over how she had acted towards the Prince and his aids:

I can't believe I did that! Idiot! You barely know them and yet you acted like you were teasing a close friend?! Not only that but he's a Prince! What if someone else had witnessed that, like the old kitchen hag? You'd get a right earful for not respecting social status you know that! Things work differently in the Palace… Don't tell me now is when you actually start opening up in front of people… Ugh, I can't believe I reprimanded the Prince and his aids and had them apologise to me! Stupid stupid…

Amongst these muddled thoughts of not only how she'd spoken to practically strangers, but with the new confusion of social status expectations mixed in, were her thoughts on the new ceremonial sword; if it hadn't been for Prince Izana's request and Otsu passing the task onto her, she could have been blissfully free of all these confusing thoughts.

"Ren!"

A familiar voice broke through Ren's mind and she paused, turning to see Shirayuki running towards her. "Shirayuki?" She questioned with raised brows, "What-"

Before she could continue the other girl grabbed onto her hand and began pulling her back towards the courtyard, her breath short. After a moment of her heart fluttering in her chest Ren managed to stammer out as she was dragged along:

"Sh-shirayuki, where are we going?!"

Ren's heart only seemed to flutter with greater speed when Shirayuki turned her head with a gleaming smile gracing her lips as she said, "We're having a competition! Sword fighting, archery, horse riding, herb identification-" She giggled at the last one and Ren thought her heart was about to fly out of her chest. "And I think you should join us."

It was at this point that they had reached the rest of the group, and Ren stared at Shirayuki before looking back at the group and back at the smiling girl again as she began to process just what exactly she had said.

"What?!" Ren exclaimed, her face beginning to feel noticeably hot.

Shirayuki released Ren's hand, clapping her own together as she said, "It'll be more fun with more people! And you're my friend Ren, it would be fun to do this together."

"I- you really consider me your friend?" Ren said, disbelief and hope seeping into her tone as she stared at Shirayuki.

"Of course, I do," Shirayuki laughed, "You're a good person Ren, and I like spending time with you. We should really do it more often and this is a great opportunity!"

Ren's expression was pure hope for just a second before her blush deepened and her hands came up to wave in front of her. "I don't want to intrude on the rest of you… besides, I have to get back to work, remember?" She laughed half heartedly as her face dropped and it looked as though she was about to leave once more.

"We don't mind, do we Master?" Obi interjected quickly, moving a little towards Ren whilst looking back at Zen.

"The more the merrier." Zen shrugged slightly, a little confused as he looked at Ren.

"I don't see the harm in it." Mitsuhide said with a gentle smile.

"Welcome to the Competition Ren," Kiki said, "That is, if you want to join us."

With the consent of the group behind him, Obi turned back to Ren, smiling proudly; she seemed shocked, judging by the expression on her face, but Obi couldn't help but think back to Otsu's words once more.

"I-I'd love to, really… thank you but… I have to work till late today so…" Ren muttered dejectedly.

"Obi." Zen said, authority slipping into his tone with ease.

"Yes Master." Obi stood up straight.

"Go tell the Court Blacksmith that Ren here will be taking the rest of the day off, and that he needn't worry about her."

"Of course, Your Highness." With that Obi bowed dramatically before running off in the direction Ren had been heading not moments beforehand.

All Ren could do was gawk at the Prince. She tried to stop Obi from going but the words caught in her throat and her hand stopped midway as she tried to reach for him. What had prompted Prince Zen to not only allow her to spend time with him and his friends but to also go out of his way to make her schedule free for it…? She couldn't even begin to understand. They had had but two proper interactions, and Ren had been less than courteous by the Palace's standards… perhaps it was because Shirayuki wanted her there? Either way, Ren couldn't help but feel like a burden, a third wheel... Even so, as she looked at Obi's retreating back and Shirayuki's joyful smile, Ren allowed that little bud of hope and joy to bloom, just a little… even if it was only for a short while.

It was a short while later that Obi landed in the open window of the forge next to which Otsu was sitting; the man looked up from his work as Obi spoke in a formal manner:

"His Highness Prince Zen would like me to inform you that Miss Ren will be taking the rest of the day off. She is well, no need to worry, and she is in safe hands." Before Otsu could reply Obi bowed and leapt away again.

"I don't doubt that Obi… I don't doubt that." Otsu chuckled and smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly before continuing his work.

Ren had been a little awkward at first, very much feeling like she shouldn't be there, but Shirayuki and Obi had been her saving graces, making her feel a little more at ease; they were her friends, after all. This thought itself was enough to make Ren feel a bit giddy; she had other friendships in the Palace and city of course, Tasuku, Erisa, Kai and Shiira… But the bond she felt with Obi, and the one she could feel tugging at her from Shirayuki, it was something that she didn't want to let go of. She wanted to keep chasing it, to grab on tight and figure out just what it was, because the feeling it gave her… it was difficult for Ren to describe at this moment but she knew it was an intense feeling of warmth; it felt like the sun caressing your face on a summers day and seeping down into your bones. It felt safe, like the warmth would always be there to protect and comfort you, and it spread throughout her chest whenever she was with the two of them. Ren wanted to understand this feeling, and so she was endlessly grateful to spend the day with them and feel this warmth throughout it; if anything, the warmth only seemed to increase as the day went on. Was it Ren's imagination, or was the warmth beginning to encompass the Prince and his aids as well…

Ren had watched as Obi had sparred with Kiki and Mitsuhide, Shirayuki at her side. They were all so skilful, and Ren wondered at their gracefulness; she had never witnessed swordplay up close before (ironic being a blacksmith) and the swift movements captured Ren wholeheartedly, each fighter's sword like an extension of their own body.

Aside from the sparring, even after just spending a few minutes with the whole group Ren could see just how close their bond was; she could feel the warm emanating from each of them as they teased each other or shouted support. Ren wondered how long they had all known each other.

When the archery competition came round, Ren relaxed fully; after focusing on the pull of the bow, the target and her steady breathing, Ren found she had released her tension along with the arrows. It had been close, but Ren had just beaten Obi, a fact which garnered her many congratulations and respect from the group. She couldn't help but grin and rub the back of her head abashedly.

Much to her own regret, Ren agreed to take part in the next competition and try hand to hand combat against Obi. She wasn't sure what prompted her to do this; she was clearly going to lose, but maybe that part of her that used to get drunk and pick a fight in the bar was stronger in that moment.

Obi had just lost his spar with Kiki; he had almost seemed reluctant to fight, almost like he was scared of her. The thought had made Ren chuckle at the time, but now her fight was up, it seemed Obi had regained all his usual bravado, much to her dismay.

Obi stretch his limbs as he stood a few metres away from Ren, his cocky grin only making her slightly disgruntled amidst her nerves. She gulped as she watched him.

"Let's see what you've got Ren." Obi said. He sounded far too excited about this.

"Ready…" Zen said. Obi dropped into a fighting stance and Ren frantically tried to copy it, "And… Begin!"

Obi leaped into action; Ren knew he was fast, but seeing it so close in a situation like this was something else entirely. It was all she could do to back off and keep her distance, dodging his advances sometimes gracefully, sometimes not; Obi on the other hand, always kept his grace. His was extraordinarily agile, barely giving her enough time to move out the way of his flying fists; he really was like a cat, Ren couldn't help but think.

Ren's eyes were panicked and she soon felt out of breath; the drunks she'd had barfights with were usually slow and stumbly, why did she agree to this?!

"Come one Ren! You can do this!" Shirayuki shouted encouragement at her from the side.

"What's wrong Ren?" Obi taunted, giving her space to breathe for a few moments, "I didn't think you were one to back down from a fight." His grin widened. "Are you too afraid to fight me? Want me to come save you instead?"

Ren's eyes widened in realisation suddenly; of course, that's why Obi had challenged her! It had only been brief but Ren had fought off Kanbe back in that alleyway; Obi wanted to see just how much she was made off.

Ren took a deep breath; well, she shouldn't let him down and keep running then, should she, even if she was fated to lose. She suddenly ran at Obi, raising her fist and throwing a punch with all her might, releasing a small battle cry as she did so; the last thing she saw was Obi's widening grin before she was suddenly staring up at the sky, the breath knocked out of her lungs. It appeared Obi had casually sidestepped her punch whilst simultaneously sweeping her legs from out underneath her. Her thump to the ground had been heavy, but nothing she wouldn't recover from after a few minutes lying there, catching her breath. Unfortunately, during this recovery, she was forced to look up into the grinning, satisfied face of Obi.

"Good try Ren!" She heard Shirayuki and turned her head to see the girl smiling, though it was clear she had also known Ren would lose.

"Why did I agree to this…" Ren muttered, looking back up at Obi with a disgruntled expression on her face. At this everyone laughed lightly, and Ren couldn't help but join in.

The group began to move away, their next destination being the stables.

"C'mon, lets get you up Miss Ren." Obi said, offering his hand down to her.

She took it gratefully, but as he pulled her up from her position on the ground with ease Ren's mind couldn't help but flash back to the numerous insistences that this had happened to her already in the past. The motion was the same, but instead of Obi there was a different face, one with blue eyes and long blonde hair in a fishtail plait, which fell over the girls shoulder as she struggled to pull the taller, drunker girl off the ground after another barfight, the lights and sounds of the pub next to them sounding distant in the night air of Tarrin. Her mind was drawn back to that memory, she could almost hear the admonishing the girl was giving her and Ren's hand drifted to the clasp of her cloak absentmindedly.

Obi was just letting go of her hand when he noticed the shift in her demeanour and he raised his brow in confusion; Ren's eyes didn't seem to be seeing him, and they seemed far off, seeing something that wasn't here.

But her eyes suddenly came into focus again when Shirayuki called at them from a little ways down the path. "Ren! You coming? Obi didn't make you fall that hard did he?" Her tone was joking but she was also clearly concerned.

"No! I'm fine! Just coming!" Ren jogged over to the group, her expression appearing normal once more. Obi followed behind her and the group began to make their way again; but as Obi walked at the back of the group next to Ren, he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Her expression seemed to shift into that far off look once more, but when they arrived at the stables it disappeared as Ren made her way to the front of the group.

As they walked towards the back of the stables, each stable hand bowed to Prince Zen, a look of shock on all their faces as they watched Ren lead the group; they began to murmur to each other, though Ren didn't seem to notice, and Obi saw in their expressions that they all recognised Ren as well.

"Tasuku!" Ren called as they reach a room at the back of the stables that was piled high with hay. Lying on one of the bails at the back of the room was a boy with a straw hat over his face, arms behind his head and a straw of hay hanging from his lips. "I thought I'd find you back here." Ren said teasingly when she stood in front of him, her arms crossed lightly.

Tasuku yawned, "Oh, heya Ren," He lifted his hat off his face as he continued, "Come to take Buttercup for a ri-" He stopped, eyes wide and mouth dropping as he recognised those stood behind Ren. His mouth continued to move but no sound escaped his slackened face.

"Yeah, we'll need five other horses too if that's alright." Ren said, seemingly undeterred.

"Just four other horses, Ren," Shirayuki corrected a little abashedly, "I don't know how to ride."

"Oh, okay. Just four horses plus Buttercup then please." Ren said looking back at Shirayuki with slight surprise. When she turned back to Tasuku, the boy leapt to a standing position, face still slack as he gawked at Ren, the group behind her, and then back to Ren once more. "Are you alright Tasuku?" Ren said with a teasingly, but the slight nervousness in it didn't escape Obi. "I've never seen you move so fast before-"

"Excuse us, Your Highness." Tasuku said quickly and breathlessly, bobbing his head in a short bow as he grabbed Ren's arm and pulled her off to the side before she could protest. Ren almost tripped she was pulled so fast and let out a "Woah!" as she was dragged a short distance away from the group, inside the doorway to the back room. They looked on with puzzled expressions as Ren and the boy huddled with hushed but fast conversation and glanced at the group periodically.

"How did you manage to hang out with Prince Zen, Shirayuki and his aids?! You gotta tell me!" Tasuku whispered frantically, his voice and face both full of excitement and disbelief as his eyes searched hers.

Ren alternated between twiddling her thumbs together and rubbing the back of her neck as she dropped her eyes to the straw covered floor. "Err… it just kinda… happened? I guess…" She shrugged a shoulder half-heartedly as she gave him a sheepish grin.

"What do you mean 'Just kind of happened'?!" Tasuku said, the last section turning into more of a shrill shout as he opened his palms helplessly in front of himself and leaned closer to Ren. The rest of the stable hands present all looked in their direction and made their way over to the two.

"Yeah, this kind of thing almost never happens," one of the stable hands spoke up, "The only exception has ever been Shirayuki."

This apparently sparked all of their curiosity as suddenly the stable hands were crowding around Ren, all asking her similar questions but giving her no break in their onslaught in which to answer them. Ren had only really spoken to these people in a friendly, acquaintance type manner up to this point, and to suddenly have them all so close and insistent was incredibly uncomfortable for her. Tasuku's voice was also in the mix, but he was trying to calm everyone down and give her some space; he seemed both annoyed and embarrassed.

Ren's hands had come up to her chest, open palms facing outward in an attempt at a placating gesture that did nothing to stop the bombardment of voices. Her eyes flicked between each person in a panic and she inched backwards, only to be followed. After what felt like a few very long minutes, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and cried "Enough!" The voices quietened and only when there was silence did Ren open her eyes once more. Her voice frantic and her head shaking slightly from side to side as she gestured with her hands, she continued:

"I don't know, okay?! You'd have to ask Shirayuki or Obi, they're the ones that suggested I hang out with them and I don't know why Zen agreed to it either!"

A collective gasp came from the stable hands as Ren stood there a little breathlessly; looks of shock and some of disapproval from the older members began to appear on their faces, but all Ren could do was look back at them with confusion.

"What?" She asked.

"You just addressed Prince Zen without any honorifics." Tasuku whispered in her ear, hand gently placed on her shoulder. His eyes looked more concerned than shocked as he glanced back at the staring stable hands.

Ren searched his face for a moment before sucking in a sharp breath; she hadn't been using any honorifics all day with the Prince, not since this competition had begun.

"Oh shit…" She mumbled through gritted teeth, her face scrunching up as she cringed, muscles tensed. She'd never been one for titles, but ever since entering the palace she had had to be extra careful to obey the norms here and she just knew a huge reprimand was coming her way for her slip-ups. She cursed herself and her carelessness. Of all the people to be impolite too… She hoped she hadn't offended Zen, not after he had been so generous to her today. Her lips pursed at the thought.

She saw one of the older stable hands open his mouth, disapproval etched into his brows as he prepared to reprimand her for her insubordination. But before he could, a smooth voice rang out from behind her.

"Everything's fine."

Ren's head snapped round to see Zen approaching her, coming to stand next to her as he continued unfalteringly, the crowd of stable hands backing up ever so slightly at his approach, shock spreading on their faces once more.

"I prefer it when my friends and those close to me don't use any honorifics with me." His stance was relaxed, as was his smile. Another hand rested on her opposite shoulder, and Ren turned to see Shirayuki, an encouraging grin on her lips. Shirayuki squeezed her shoulder as Ren looked around her to see Obi coming to stand on her other side next to Tasuku, Kiki and Mitsuhide coming to stand close behind her and the Prince.

A few murmurs rippled through the stable hands, but Ren was once again rendered surprised by a simple word; Zen had called her a friend. She could feel that odd warmth blossoming in her chest once more… was it perhaps comradery? A strong bond of trust? She was beginning to feel like she had always belonged with these people, as impossible as that sounded when one of those people was a Prince of your country. But it was true… wasn't it?

Ren shook her head of her musings when Kiki spoke up:

"Ren is our friend, there is no reason besides that for why she is spending time with us. Is that understandable enough for you?" The group around Ren all nodded their agreement, but all the stable hands could manage was to continue staring.

Tasuku clicked his tongue as he raised his voice slightly, "What are you all staring at? These stables won't clean themselves and you know what happened when we didn't finish last time before my dad returned." This seemed to jump start them back into action as the crowd of stable hands promptly dispersed and returned to their previous work. Tasuku's posture finally relaxed once more as he let out a sigh and moved over to where the saddles and tackle were kept, pointing his finger at Ren, "You are so telling me everything."

Ren's face broke out into a grin so wide her eyes scrunched up into slits; she gave an overjoyed and grateful nod to the others before jogging over to help Tasuku, saying with a bright laugh "You'll be lucky shorty!"

Tasuku began to saddle one of the horses, "Need I remind you again, I'm older. Treat your seniors with some respect tsk."

"By two months." Ren retorted with a smirk, heading over to Buttercup and laughing when Tasuku stuck his tongue out at her.

"Can I help?" Mitsuhide asked, approaching Tasuku.

The boy looked in shock again for a moment, "Err… yeah sure. You can, um, put his halter on…" Mitsuhide simply smiled brightly and moved to do so, Obi, Kiki and Zen also saddling their own horses. Tasuku seemed torn in letting the Prince saddle his own horse, but being mid through attaching a saddle he simply sighed and decode to let the Prince be.

Ren chuckled at the stable boy, saddling up Buttercup with practiced speed.

"So… this is Buttercup." Shirayuki said, coming to watch Ren and staring up at the tall stallion in front of her with slight anxiety.

"Mhm," Ren hummed, "He was causing a lot of trouble for the stable hands, but luckily I was able to calm him down before he could crush Tasuku over there one day," she chuckled lightly. "So now they let me take him for rides. Hopefully, you'll learn your manners soon, ey boy." She patted the horse's thick neck before swinging herself up onto the saddle, moving Buttercup to stand next to Shirayuki. The horse sniffed at her and snorted, shaking his head slightly before bowing his head to the girl. When Shirayuki failed to do anything but blink, he nudged her hand till it was scratching his nose.

Ren too blinked in surprise, but smiled fondly "I think he likes you. Guess he can tell who my friends are." She laughed as she again rubbed his light caramel hair.

"He's never done that to me!" Tasuku cried from across the stable, offended.

"Well, then I guess he just doesn't like you, Tasuku!" Ren teased with glee.

"Fine. I'll stop feeding your angry horse then." He said in a huff.

"I was kidding Tasuku! Please!"

"Yeah yeah…" He said, waving his hand lazily over his shoulder, "Just make sure he gets his exercise."

Ren laughed sheepishly as the others started to move out with their horses. She looked down at Shirayuki:

"Do you want to ride with me, Shirayuki?" Ren blushed slightly as she glanced away.

"But wont I slow you down in the race?" She asked with concern.

"Ha, he'll be just fine." Ren said with a proud grin, patting Buttercup and offering a hand to Shirayuki.

"Alright then." Shirayuki said, mirroring her smile as she took the offered hand, settling behind Ren in the saddle but with a slightly more nervous expression on her face as they began to move. Ren noticed that Shirayuki had been carrying a hamper with her for a while now, and it was now nestled safely in Shirayuki's lap. Did she get it when they had been close to the kitchens during the sword duels? It looked similar to the ones they sometimes used, and Shirayuki had disappeared for a short while. Ren's blush deepened as she realised she hadn't paid much attention to why Shirayuki had left as she had been so entranced by the swordsmenship.

Joining the others outside, Ren asked, "So where will we be racing?"

"How about in the forest?" Kiki suggested, "We won't be in anyone's way there."

"Yeah," Obi said with a sly grin as he looked at Ren from the corner of his eye. "No-one will be in there to get run down by a speeding horse."

Sarcasm dripped from his voice and Ren's face crinkled with embarrassment, "Ha… you all know that was me back then, huh?". They all nodded, small smiles on their faces as they began to ride towards the forest at a walk. "Sorry about that… It was Buttercup's first time out."

"That beast is called Buttercup?!" Mitsuhide said incredulously.

Buttercup snorted and stomped his hooves a little harder as he walked, "He happens to like his name and asks you to respect it." Buttercup shook his head again as Ren spoke.

"Okay…" Mitsuhide said, a hint of nervousness in his tone, though it was soon replaced with confidence, "But can he beat our horses in a race?"

"Oh yeah, you'll be eating our dust for the next few months our lead will be so far ahead." Ren said, rising to match his confidence, sitting tall in her saddle.

"Oh really?" Zen said with a chuckle, causing Ren to blush again at her brazenness. "We'll see about that."

"To the central clearing with the ruins?" Obi said, the group having reached the edge of the forest now and coming to a halt.

"To the central clearing." The riders all confirmed at once.

"Three…" Zen began counting down.

"Hold on, Shirayuki." Ren whispered to the girl behind her, the excitement evident in her voice.

"Two…One…" Shirayuki's arms wrapped tightly around Ren's waist, but it barely added to her already quickly beating heart pumping with adrenaline.

"Go!"

The five horses reared into action, speeding into a gallop as the green leaves of the forest became but a blur to the riders. The pounding of many hooves and the rush of the wind were loud in Ren's ears, and though Shirayuki's iron grip remained strong, after a while her shouts of joy reached Ren's ears as well. The heavy gait of Buttercup's hooves thudded into her core as she jeered him on; Obi and Zen had been level with her for some time, but as they neared the clearing Buttercup pulled ahead, the thick muscles off his shoulders straining beneath his light hair, their power evident in his stride. Blinding sunlight suddenly beamed onto Ren's face, no longer the dappled shade that had kept them company and so Ren pulled Buttercup to a halt, letting him slowly trot around the clearing to come to a gradual stop. It wasn't long until the others also entered the clearing, and as they came to a halt Ren said, slightly breathlessly:

"I told you." She patted Buttercups neck with a grin as the horse snorted somewhat proudly.

"Yeah yeah…" Mitsuhide and Zen said, and the whole group laughed together.

They all dismounted, Ren helping Shirayuki down; she stumbled slightly upon reaching the ground, rubbing her bottom after the harsh ride and holding the hamper under her other arm. Seeing her curious look, Shirayuki explained:

"I brought lunch for everyone!"

Ren's eyes widened and everyone cheered lightly, expressing their hunger after the many competitions they had completed; it was early afternoon, and Ren herself hadn't realised just how hungry she was until that moment. The group settled on the grass amidst the low stone walls of the ruined structure, and began to share out the food the gracious Shirayuki had brought with her.

The sun was bright and warm, the horses grazing peacefully around the outskirts of the clearing and bird song and relaxed laughter filling the air. As Ren dug into a simple cheese sandwich, she marvelled at the scene before her; with the palace and its other inhabitants out of site, it was easy for her to believe they were just an ordinary group of friends, spending a prized day off together in the sunshine. It all so seemed so simple and carefree, and Ren basked in the sensation.

Zen, Kiki and Mitsuhide had come to understand Ren better during the day, as she had also come to understand them; they had trusted Shirayuki's judgement and could tell Ren was a good person, and it was a relief that Ren didn't seem to care about their status much. Zen, in particular, had seen Ren defending his and Shirayuki's relationship to some other palace workers who had been gossiping one day; from her personality, he doubted she remembered it or thought much of it herself, but to Zen it had meant a great deal to have such verdant support out there, especially when everyone else seemed so focus on their difference in social standing. It was remembering this instance that had caused Zen to evaluate Ren differently, and push aside the thoughts of nearly being run over by a horse and his lord brother when he'd first gone down to the blacksmiths forge to see her. Despite spending only a short time together, the whole group felt this easy, strong sense of comradery, as though these were truly people they could rely on in anything in life.

As the sun drifted to late afternoon, the suggestion was brought up to play hide and seek by none other than Shirayuki.

"Aren't we too old for that Miss?" Obi said with a laugh.

"Where's your sense of fun gone Obi?" Zen teased with a small smirk, but before Obi could retort Ren said:

"The forest is pretty big though; we could be looking for hours…"

"Well…" Shirayuki said, hand on her chin in thought, "How about we play the version where we have to reach a spot in the centre after hiding nearby? Where someone protects the safe zone from the hiders?"

"This sounds more like a stealth mission," Obi chuckled, "But I'm in."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Mitsuhide volunteered to be the first to stay behind and guard the 'safe zone' in the clearing. The rest of the group ran off in different directions into the trees; Ren ventured just out of sight and began climbing a large oak tree, hoping to use the added height to her advantage.

Its been so long since I played a game like this, Ren thought to herself as she reached one of the larger lower branches. It feels so silly, playing kids games now I'm all grown but… I have to admit it does feel good to have fun like this again. She let out a breath through her nose in a contented sigh, and reached for the next branch. When was the last time I played like this? Was it with- Her breath seemed to catch in her thought as she paused in her movements. It was with… Kyoko… Her brow scrunched in the centre and her hand came down again to the clasp of her cloak; a simple, spiralling design in iron.

That was how Obi found her; crouched on a branch and clutching her cloak clasp with an almost regretful or mournful look on her face. He landed on the branch just above her, sitting back on his heels:

"Heya Miss Ren."

She blinked, her hand falling from the clasp as she looked up at him, a far away look in her eye, "Oh, hey Obi."

"That's a nice cloak clasp." He said gently but keeping his tone casual throughout, accessing her face, "Did you make it?"

"Oh, no… An old friend gave it to me, actually…" She lightly touched the clasp once more, as though it was a fragile object.

"Its special to you." Obi said after a pause.

"Yeah…" Ren said, a little surprised, "It is…" There was slight uncertainty in that sentence.

"You miss them, don't you?" Obi said softly, though his tone was slightly matter of fact; he knew he was right. "That old friend." He nodded to the clasp.

Ren chuckled, but it was missing any joy, "Your full of observations today, aren't you?" She attempted to tease him and put on a smile, but after a long pause of silence Obi only blinked at her. With a sigh Ren relented, "Yeah… I do. We didn't part on good terms, though." She clutched the clasp, eyes in her lap, allowing the pain to show on her face; there was no point hiding it now. She had brushed aside the memories of Kyoko earlier in the day as best she could, but as soon as she had been alone, she found she couldn't hold the pain back anymore.

After a moment Obi lowered himself down onto her branch, crouched but facing outwards, his side to Ren. He looked out into the forest beyond, and together they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"You know," Obi said; his voice had a much softer, almost wistful quality to it, and Ren noted how rare this was to see. Had the first, and last time, been when they talked on the roof that night? "Otsu said the strangest thing to me the other day."

She was confused, though grateful, for the sudden change in subject, something to take her mind off the memories. "He… says a lot of strange things."

"He told me that I could trust you, and that our fates, the Master's, Miss Kiki and Miss Shirayuki's, and Mitsuhide's, they're all intertwined." Ren could only blink, stunned. "He may have said that was just the ramblings of a fool, but I can't help but believe him." Obi had a soft smile on his face, and his eyes drifted down to follow the movement of something below. Ren followed his gaze, and saw Shirayuki running below them, heading back towards the clearing, her mop of bright red hair bobbing as she went by.

Ren was brought to the memories of the stories her mother used to tell her when she was younger; the woman was pretty superstitious when it came down to it, and would tell her all sorts of old wives' tales in place of bedtime stories. Her mother believed in Fate; she had spoken about it on many an occasion, and how red was the colour of Fate. For that reason, red was her mothers favourite colour. Ren had never been so sure herself, whether to believe or not that everything happened for a reason, and that even bad things were simply meant to be by order of the universe. But as she watched Shirayuki disappear into the trees and looked up to see Obi's warm and gentle smile, she began to wonder of her mother had been right all these years.

"What do you think?" Obi asked; Ren could see his genuine curiosity. He wasn't expecting her to agree with him or not, he was simply curious of her thoughts.

"Otsu's a lot wiser than he presents himself as, more often than not…" Ren said thoughtfully. "I suppose I couldn't stop Fate even if I tried if that's true, could I?" She laughed, some joy back in the sound, "Guess that means you guys are stuck with me now, huh?"

"You're the one stuck with us now." Obi said with a smirk, Ren chuckling at his almost smug expression. "What do you say we go capture that safe zone from above, Miss?"

"Yeah, because they won't see that coming." She said, rolling her eyes but her smile spreading wider. Standing together they raced through the trees, laughing as they went.

Ren couldn't help but be amazed by Obi; even if he didn't know exactly what she was thinking, he still managed to say exactly the right thing to extinguish her doubts. Obi had reminded her of the friends she had here and of this new bond they felt, helping her feel less alone as she remembered the broken bond of her past. He was so much deeper than the mischievous man he presented himself as, and it made Ren wonder what else lurked in those depths.

She'd only ever had the one close friend in Kyoko back in Tarrin, but now, she saw she really could have more people with which to share her every thought with. It would take time, but she felt as though this group especially, was one she could trust with her life. She had already made friends here in the capital, but she never thought she'd find a potential family away from Tarrin. The bond she felt with them… they felt almost like home to her, and knew that feeling would soon cement itself. Her trust in Obi had built so fast it felt almost out of her control, it was crazy when she thought about it. Maybe all this really was Fate at work. And Ren decided that, she didn't mind one bit if that were true.

In the end, the group never did announce a winner to their competitions.

A/N: Well... it took me long enough, but I finished University! Woo! I'm back, with more free time, so here I am. Writing seems to take much longer than I remember but then again, this chapter is about twice as long as usual... think of it as my apology! To those reading this, I thank you for staying and waiting for me and Ren, it really does mean so much to me. My writing may be a bit rusty so I apologise, it's been a while. As usual, I can't promise an upload schedule, but I will try for at least once a month (hopefully). I hope you are all well in these trying times!

Thank you so much Moonlight46, Mkchief34, bromple, Cjknight, Miraculouslyawesome, lizyeah2000, Guests, Orcinus234 and SilentJo for your reviews I love reading them and they give me so much joy and confidence! Will Ren see Obi's dark and scary side... good question... we shall see, wont we haha ;) And I am still planning on writing the RenxObi sidefics (I was tempted to make it canon at one point but I'm far too stubborn!) If anyone wants me to try writing some fluff between Ren and any of the other character I'm happy to giive that a go in this alternative fic section lol.

Anyway, thank you from sticking with me and I hope to hear from you all in the reviews! I've never been 100% on this chapter so please let me know if you like it lol. If you liked what you read or not...

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Limegreenarcher