The Blacksmith [Zen Wisteria X Reader]

| 10 | Competition

As I fell asleep from a long nights events, I couldn't help but think.

'I thought I was going to leave after seeing Shirayuki?'

I know I said that but I regret it now. There's a job position here and great people, the prince is so kind and I'm protected from prince Raji if he even came to kick my butt again. I just don't want to get in the way of Shirayuki and her love life. I patted my cheeks, I need to stop thinking and go to sleep. Tomorrow I should start to make that sword for entry. I'm going to win that position!

~*~ The next day ~*~

I woke up bright and early feeling determined. I knew how to make a perfect sword and I knew the equipment I needed but I didn't know where I was going to get that stuff from. All my items were in Tanbarun and there is no way I'm going back there.

I scratched my forehead. Maybe I could go to the castle and use their equipment? I looked at the flyer again. I skipped the main stuff and headed to the rules.

Must be your own work with no help
all equipment must be your own
must supply all metal and  components yourself

My face turned pale, there goes my chances at winning now. Where am I meant to get the equipment from and the metal!? I paced about the room until I thought of an idea. I picked up my fathers sword and took it out of the leather case. I can't hand it in for the competition because I didn't make it myself but If I can pull it apart and re-melt it then forge it again, it would be my own work. It was a brilliant idea but I still didn't have equipment. I need a workshop to that stuff, I sighed in defeat. There's no way I can re forge this sword without using another persons equipment.

There was a knock on my door and I stood up to go and answer it. It was Mitsuhide, I expected Kiki to be with him but I guess not. "Hey Mitsuhide, is everything okay?"

"Yeah I just came to check that you were doing the blacksmith competition"

"Well, I don't think I can"

"Huh?" He looked at me surprised. "But you do know how to make that stuff don't you?"

"Of course, it's just that the rules clearly state that I can't use anyone's equipment and it must be my personally supplied materials" "unfortunately all of that stuff is back at my fathers workshop in Tanbarun" I scratched the back of my neck and sheepishly smiled hiding the disappointment lurking within me.

"Screw the rules, come to the palace, we have a blacksmith workshop" He grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the palace. He brought me to the brick workshop that was placed at the back of the castle hidden from the towns view. It was big and easy to mauver in, nothing like back in Tanbarun.

"get to work, I'll leave you to it" "The equipment is pretty easy to find, I'm gathering you know the rest. He turned on his heel and left me to do my job. I guess I won't have to destroy my fathers work after all, what a relief. I tied the apron around my waist and got to work, I'll have to make sure this sword is perfect. It has to be sharp, no dents and no bumps, smooth and shiny.

I hammered down on the metal not even realising the prince standing a meter away.

"What are you doing using the palaces work shop?" I dropped the hammer on the ground startled. I looked over to him and calmed down after I saw it was just Zen.

"Don't scare me like that" I picked the hammer back up and started to perfect the sword.

"did you break into the castle by taking out our guards?" Of course he would think that, I guess Mitsuhide hasn't told him that he brought me here. My mind went into panic, what happens if I get disqualified.

"Mitsuhide brought me here so I could actually make this thing" I held the sword by the grip and dipped it in water. Watching it sizzle was fun, the best bit about blacksmithing (is that a word?). 

"Mitsuhide brought you here?" "you do know using another person's equipment is against the rules" my breathe hitched.

"Yeah, I know but all my stuff is back at Tanbarun" "It was unfair, I was going to give up but Mitsuhide came in the nick of time" I inspected the sword making sure it was perfect and ready to start decorating. I slid my fingers along the surface but a hand grabbed my wrist hastily.

"Do you know how dangerous that is!?" "you could get a serious cut from that"

"How else am I meant to tell if it's perfectly smooth?" "your eyes don't see every detail you know" I pulled my hand away from his grasp. I pulled open a drawer looking for an material I could use to make this sword look any better while Zen was still standing there. I slammed the drawer shut. "Would you leave me alone, the finial product is meant to be a surprise" I pushed him away with all my strength.

"You do realise I'm royalty and you can't order me around"

"I don't care that you're royalty, that doesn't change anything, I'm still my own person and you are as well so I'm ordering the none royalty part of you Zen to go away"

Zen's POV

"Would you leave me alone, the finial product is meant to be a surprise" Y/N pushed me away from the workshop.

"You do realise I'm royalty and you can't order me around"

"I don't care that you're royalty, that doesn't change anything, I'm still my own person and you are as well so I'm ordering the none royalty part of you Zen to go away" Those words, the words that Y/N just spoke pulled my heart strings. No one has ever said that to me, not even Shirayuki. No one would ever dare go against royalty except the girl right in front of me. It's nice to be treated like a normal person for once.

That's the horrible part about being a prince. You can't tell if someone loves you for being you as a person or royalty status but I would seem as of this girl doesn't care what your status is, instead she cares for who you are as a person. I followed her orders for me to leave, I would hate to ruin the surprise.

~*~ Contest Entries ~*~

I sat in a chair next to Kiki and Mitsuhide, we were 3 of the judges at the scouting event today. I have no doubt that Y/N's sword is perfect. She was working hard when I saw her. Y/N's words were still implanted in my head. The way she treats me as a person is the best thing in the world, she doesn't know how much it means to me.

They were only 8 people who had entered the contest. This means 8 swords to judge, not too bad at least it won't take to long. I saw Y/N, she was the last in the line with her sword in a leather case. she was looking at someone, I followed her vision and looked to the boy to my left. Mitsuhide, he was staring right back at her. He gave her a thumbs up and she nodded back at him. It seems those two are getting along just fine.

All the swords were pretty normal, great quality although one broke when we tried to use it against another sword and some others were so blunt that they couldn't make a clean cut through wood. That's not good quality but I can't say they tried. Y/N was the only female contestant, of course you wouldn't really expect a female to do this sort of thing.

When the time came for Y/N's I was excited to see just what she has been working on. When we pulled it out of the leather case, everyone instantly knew this was the winning sword. The structure was strong and perfectly smooth. It held itself against wood and other swords, not only was the quality great but the design was amazing. It was obvious this wasn't for a soldier but rather a higher up.

The Guard was gold, the grip was red velvet with gold spiralling up. In the centre of the pommel was a blue gem. The design was beautiful, I think I might keep it. That's if Y/N doesn't want it though. It was her creation and therefore hers to keep. The winner was decided and without a doubt it was Y/N.

~*~

A/N: Thanks for reading! It was sort of a filler chapter I guess but it had Zen in it so... Anyway Wattpad wouldn't let me upload a picture of a labelled sword so I have no way of telling you what the Pommel means but I'll give it a try.

If you guys have seen a sword some where, on TV or real life you would've seen the round thing on the end of the grip, yeah that's the pommel. And the guard is that long thing before the grip that stops your hands from slipping up the sword because that would really hurt. I hope that gives you an idea~