The Attendant Prince (Zen Wistaria X Shirayuki)

Chapter 1 - The Declaration

This is a little different compared to what I write in the past. So I apologise if you don't seem to enjoy it.

(3rd Person POV)

"What!?"

"Calm down, your highness." Chief Garak reassured Prince Zen in a serious tone. "Shirayuki will be receiving immediate medical attention due to her condition, so please be patient."

Zen had rushed towards the pharmacy right after hearing word that Shirayuki was injured. He, literally and figuratively, dropped everything he had on his hands and sprinted away from the meeting he was attending with Lord Haruka. Mitsuhide and Kiki half-expected he would do so, hence stayed with the lord to apologize while the prince ignored the cries from them.

How could I be so careless? Zen thought, mentally punching himself for leaving his fair maiden without having a slightest clue that she was feeling unwell. Obi was sent to a faraway kingdom to gather information about a suspicious coup, thus why Shirayuki was alone when the incident took place.

By the time he arrived at the pharmacy, the pharmacists were already tending to her, carrying herbs and medicinal kits while pacing past him without any delay. Zen could feel the tension hanging in the air. He knew that Shirayuki was an invaluable ally to them as she could do almost anything she put her mind into. Granted, she was always neglecting her personal wellbeing while helping others, which worried her peers a lot whenever she pulled all-nighters for research. She always strove for the best while sacrificing herself so that she could realize her dreams of becoming a successful herbalist, but it often backfired as she would overwork herself without even noticing it.

Zen went to the ward she was residing, and it only deepened his concern after seeing her lying on a bed under the covers, her face as pale as paper. Garak was observing her condition as she sat on a chair beside the bed, writing down whatever information she gathered from Shirayuki's sudden collapse. "Is she going to be okay?"

The chief looked up to see Zen as if she was expecting him. Her no-nonsense face answered his question before she opened her lips. "Shirayuki fell on the back of her head when she fainted, fracturing her skull a little. Because of that, it is possible that she may suffer from memory loss from time to time. To top things off, that teapot she was carrying had landed directly on her right kneecap, so she might need help on her movements."

"The reason behind this was most likely to be stress, as expected." Garak continued. Obviously, she knew that Shirayuki was working herself too hard, but she was too stoic to listen to the chief and get some rest. "Shirayuki was occupied with the assignment I gave her about a week ago. She spent hours working on it, so the blame was on me, your highness."

Zen furrowed his eyebrows as he did not make eye contact with Garak. He could tell that she was just as fretful as he was as Shirayuki's superior. Garak had the responsibility to be mindful of her co-workers' health, and she acknowledged her mistake for not stopping her earlier. With that being said, there was no point of punish her for something that could not be avoided. Besides, Zen had put the blame on himself, as well. If only he was considerate enough to look after Shirayuki...

Mitsuhide and Kiki came in a while later. They could feel the sudden change in ambience while looking at both of Zen and Garak's expressions. It was true that Shirayuki was overstraining herself with her job and she wouldn't want people to find out about it. She may have assumed that she was a burden to everyone, but people considered her as a great friend and ally. Her optimism often radiated an aura that cheered people around her up when they were in tough times. She also suggested many beneficial changes to the castle due to her observant nature. While she may not look like it, Shirayuki was practically as important as Prince Zen when it comes to maintaining the kingdom's condition.

"He's definitely going to stay up late for this." The blue-haired male muttered to himself, but was overheard by Kiki. "Yeah, definitely."

The silence went on for a couple of minutes before Zen's voice penetrated it. "Chief Garak, is there any way for Shirayuki to recover as soon as possible? We will help you with anything we can." The snowy prince was fixating his eyes sympathetically on the poor girl that he had sworn to protect. He felt nostalgic of this image in front of him. He had seen Shirayuki like this for at least three times now, and all of it was because Zen, assumed by himself, was too engaged in his task given and left Shirayuki unattended. To be frank, his attendants were aware of the pressure Zen had given himself, but they could not interfere as he was too stubborn with his own way. Still, ever since a certain redhead appeared in his life, he had at least cut himself some slack from all the work and go out with her occasionally. While that often lead to Mitsuhide chasing after him, it was better for him to find freedom like he always did rather than getting shackled to his obligations as an heir to the throne.

"I'm afraid I do not have anything for you, your highness. Right now, Shirayuki is best kept here to rest until she wakes up. And after that, we need to resume looking after her condition since this isn't the first time it happened." Garak shook her head, but smiled gratefully at him. She, of course, would gladly accept any help offered from anyone, yet this wasn't the case as leaving Zen here would only waste his time. Granted, she had a hunch that the prince would not back down just yet, considering the fact that he had barged into her workplace once, while she was busy observing plants, just to casually talk to her. Not that Garak minded the young love sprouting from that room, she was concerned that he would get carried away and overlook his duties in the long run.

In contrast to what she said, Garak had some ideas for the prince if he wanted to look after Shirayuki, but she was certain that everyone except him would go against it. She contemplated on voicing it out, but she did not want to be yelled at by Mitsuhide, who was worried about Zen just as much as Shirayuki.

Oh well, might as well give it a shot and see what happens, she thought.

"...Actually, your highness," Garak rubbed her chin, considering the outcomes after what happens next. "Shirayuki does need someone to be her bodyguard."

Zen's eyes immediately lit up after hearing that, looking up on the chief court pharmacist. "I've heard that Obi would not be returning for a month, so until then she would need to double her work since Obi helps her wherever she goes."

That is clearly not true, but apprently he bought it, Mitsuhide and Kiki thought. Everyone in the room knew what he was thinking, even the by-passers smiled in response after hearing Garak say that. However, all of them rejected the suggestion since it was impossible for the prince to lower himself and work on a garden, even if he had that before in the past.

Well, all of them rejected the suggested, except for him. He smirked confidently after mentally making that choice. His trusty attendants noticed it, and straightaway persuaded Zen to head back to his room before he announced his decision. But alas, it was all in vain as Zen's words rang through the room, resonating out of it as everyone else heard it like a royal declaration.

"In that case, I guess I'll be her attendant starting the first thing tomorrow!"