Chapter Text
Promises were made, hands softly clasped in the morning light, but Zen had yet to get better at waxing eloquent. He knew he'd gain not just his brother's approval, but also his permission to marry (if he persisted enough) but the waiting time in between was agonizing. He still had to wait for his brother to marry first as per tradition. But it was obnoxiously painful to wait for Izana to move. Like a game of chess under the influence of alcohol, everything was taking forever.
It was not difficult to love Shirayuki, it was only difficult to fight the circumstances surrounding their odds of having a future together. Thankfully he had noted Obi had stopped tensing up with thinly veiled jealousy. Perhaps he had found a new object for his affections in recent times. Whatever the case may be, Zen would have to make himself content in the meantime. Content to see Shirayuki thrive in her skills and her constant search for puzzles of complex logic. He would never cease his admiration of her mind, her eyes, and her... everything. This afternoon would be their first time seeing one another after he'd promised to make a place for her by his side as not just his trusted confidant, but also a ruler in her own right. He would make it so, and he would adore sharing this hopeful secret between them. It was for them to know until the time came for them to take both their places.