It's been three months and Leona has been living comfortably with her human friend, Shirayuki. The two quickly became best friends, Leona is known by the villagers in Tanbarun since she's living with Shirayuki in the pharmacy she's running, and all the men are enchanted by her beauty. Shirayuki gave her some set of clothes so she can fit in.

Leona helps Shirayuki by finding herbs and helping around the pharmacy. She even learns how to make medicine by Shirayuki and makes snacks for the customers while they wait until they get their medicine. She helps Shirayuki with the chores around the house to repay her for her kindness. She hasn't told Shirayuki or anyone else the truth, feared she'll lose her first human friend. Every morning, Leona saw the sun raising, and waits until Shirayuki wakes up, once Shirayuki is awake, they began their usual day.

Leona:
7 AM, the usual morning lineup
Start on the chores and sweep 'till the floor's all clean
Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up
Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15
And so I'll read a book
Or maybe two or three
I'll help Shirayuki find herbs for her pharmacy
And I'll help make medicine and cook for the customers
Just wonder if this is when my new life begins?

Leona is on her break, she makes sure Shirayuki isn't looking, and takes out her laptop and watches movies and videos, making sure the volume isn't high enough for Shirayuki to hear.

Leona:
Then after lunch it's puzzles and more baking
Going to the forest to admire it's beautiful nature
Meeting animals from the forest or the village
Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, walk around the village
Make new friends
And I'll reread the books
If I have time to spare
I'll go find some more herbs
if Shirayuki's too busy to go with me
And then I'll brush and brush
And brush and brush my hair
Stuck in the same place I've always been
And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'
And wonderin' and wonderin'
If this is when my new life begins?

The sun sets, Leona and Shirayuki said good night to each other and went to their rooms, Leona closes the door behind her, and walks towards the window and opens it to see the stars,

Leona:
Every night
The stars will appear
Just like they do when the sunsets every evening
To remind me
Of my friends and my family
But if I ever go home
I'll leave my best friend
Shirayuki behind

One day, Leona is in the kitchen, making snacks for the customers as usual. She went to see it there's anymore customers left, but surprised to see her human friend talking to a palace messenger. She hides and overheard the conversation.

"You said Prince Raji's... concubines?" "Yes. In other words you two would be his mistresses." "His concubines?!" Leona thought in anger and disgust. She heard of Prince Raji from both the villagers and Shirayuki, they told her that he is a spoiled and selfish prince who never cares for anyone but himself.

"Absurd!" Shirayuki said in shock. "I can't believe he'd be interested in common girls like us just because of the color of our hair. We'd be an embarrassment to him." "Still, Prince Raji has taken a liking to you both." The messenger said as he approached her, causing Shirayuki to back away until she hit against the cashier table. "Therefore, you are required to formally appear at the castle tomorrow morning." he then grab his sword to intimidate her, making Leona to glare at him from her hiding spot, "I suggest you look presentable and tell your friend about this news." He walks out of the pharmacy, once he's gone, Shirayuki fell to her knees.

Leona walked from her hiding spot and said, staying by her human friend's side, "Shirayuki, I-" "You heard everything, didn't you?" Shirayuki guessed, knew Leona heard what the guard said, "I did." Leona said. It's the end of the day and Leona and Shirayuki are still quiet and think about what the messenger said. "What are we going to do, Shirayuki?" Leona asked, Shirayuki look up at her and said, "I think there's only one way we can do." "And what's that?" "We're running away." Shirayuki said, standing up, "We are?" Leona said surprised by her friend's decision, "Yes, I know you don't want to be Prince Raji's concubine as much as I do, so we're running away."

Leona knew Shirayuki is right, she has heard that in ancient times, human royalty has concubines, and she personally didn't like that at all. Leona nodded, "Alright, I get as much food for us so we won't get hungry." Shirayuki nodded, "Thank you Leona, I'll make the medicine for our customers and leave them here for them tomorrow." "OK." Leona headed to the kitchen and make some food for her and her friend, while Shirayuki makes medicine for everyone.

Once they're both done, Leona walked out of the kitchen with messenger bags fill with some food. She saw Shirayuki about to cut her hair with scissors. "Shirayuki, what are you doing?!" Leona said in shock, "Why are you cutting your hair?!" "I might as well give Prince Raji a part of what he wanted." Shirayuki simply said to her, Leona frowns, "But your hair is beautiful when it's long." "It'll grow back." Shirayuki reassures her, "Please know this wasn't yours or my hair's fault." Leona looked away and a snip of Shirayuki cutting her hair echoes throughout the room.

After Leona puts on a hood cloth cape,

she and Shirayuki left the pharmacy and hitch a ride out of Tanbarun. "Goodbye Tanbarun." Shirayuki said as they leave the kingdom, "We'll miss you." the sun began to set as they made their way out of Tanbarun to another kingdom. They thank the drivers and bowed to them as they left. They made their way through the forest, then Shirayuki taps Leona's shoulder, noticing a house. They approach it, Shirayuki knocks on the door. "Excuse me? Excuse me?" Shirayuki called out for anyone inside the house, "Is anyone home? May we come in?" "I don't think anyone's home, Shirayuki." Leona said, they sat down against the house's wall as Shirayuki sighs, "We can't just go in without being invited." Shirayuki and Leona noticed the sun is almost setting and the dark night sky is coming, "But it's already getting dark." Shirayuki feels her stomach growling a little, "And I'm starting to get hungry."

Leona grabs her bag and pulls out two red apples, "Here Shirayuki." Leona hands one to her, "It's not much, but we need to save some food until we find a new home." Shirayuki smiles and said, "Thank you Leona." Leona nodded and they ate the apples, once they're done, Shirayuki fell asleep and since gods don't need sleep, Leona kept an eye out just in case anyone who might hurt Shirayuki and herself, but she entertains herself so she won't get bored by playing the games she has on her phone or reading online books and fanfictions on her phone, she kept the volume down so she won't disturb Shirayuki and waking her up. Leona look up at the stars and frowns sadly, she misses her mom and dad, she misses Ichthys' pranks, and she misses her friends, she can only pray that they can find some way to get her home, but at the same time, she doesn't want to leave her friend behind, only time will tell on what will happen if her family can find her.

Morning came, a little bird flew and landed on Leona's finger, tweets elegantly. Leona smiles and feed it as it flew to her open hand filled with seeds. The animals around her and back in Tanbarun always feel happy and calm, which surprises Shirayuki and the villagers. Speaking of Shirayuki, she slowly wakes up and the bird flew from Leona's hand after it tweets to thank her for the seeds. Shirayuki sat up and yawns, "Good morning Shirayuki." "Good morning Leona, when did you get up?" "Just a few minutes ago." Leona lies, couldn't tell Shirayuki that she doesn't sleep.

Suddenly they heard a man's voice, "Mitsuhide, Kiki! I'm going on ahead!" they heard another man's voice, "Hey, careful, braggart! You'll hurt yourself." a figure jumps over the wall and surprises both Leona and Shirayuki. The man has light silver or white color hair, short to medium length, long enough to cover his forehead, bit not long enough to each his shoulders, his eyes are a crystal blue and wearing casual clothes which normally consist of a dark top and light colored pants and his royal blue glove is always on his left hand and it covers his palm and middle finger. His name is Zen.

Leona and Shirayuki just gazed at him, soon the Zen noticed them, which caught him off guard and his foot hit the wall and he lands hard.

Leona pushed Shirayuki behind her and they both hid at the dark corner of the wall, Leona and Shirayuki, who peeked over Leona's shoulder, saw the Zen grabbing his right arm in pain. Two more people ran towards him to see if he's OK, the other man has short, light sea silver-blue hair and brown eyes. He is tall and has a fair build, his casual clothes are still quite formal as well. He has never been seen in short-sleeved shirts or tops, unlike the first man. His casual clothes normally consist of a buttoned-up shirt and trousers with high boots. His name is Mitsuhide.

The woman next to him has mid-length blond hair, which she normally ties into a low ponytail, and indigo eyes. She wears a sleeveless black top as an undergarment and black leggings. On top of them she wears a purple outer with Chinese style collar, the outer has many gold embellishments. The middle part and the collar are darker, while the bottom part was split into 2 parts. There are 3 flaps of fabrics on the outer, and an attachment which held her sword. She wears long purple boots with gold embellishments. She wears a pair of metal protector on both of her hands. Her name is Kiki.

"I told you so Zen!" Mitsuhide said worryingly, "Are you hurt? Did you fall on your head? Tell me, what's one plus one?" "Purple." Zen answers, acting confused, "Wait, who're you again?" "It's me, Mitsuhide!" "Oh, I forgot, was that your name?" Kiki said, "Kiki! Not helping even a little bit!" Leona and Shirayuki quietly sneak past them as Zen laughs at his friend's flustered behavior. Zen noticed the two girls trying to get away from them and says, "Hold." they freeze as Zen got up and putting his shelt sword on his shoulder, asking them, "Mind telling me who are you two? And what you're doing in the woods all alone?" Leona pushes Shirayuki behind her in case they try to hurt her human friend as they cover their head with their hoods, trying to make sure their hair isn't in view, Shirayuki answers, "Oh, we just, uh... we just left our home, and we were in a hurry, so we got rather lost and ended up on a random road and... We're here." Zen cuts her off by using his sword to take their hood off to reveal their red hair, much to his, Mitsuhide's and Kiki's surprise.

"You both have very unusual hair." "Yeah, we get that a lot." Leona said, not too surprised of their reactions to see hers and Shirayuki's hair. Shirayuki noticed the bruise on Zen's arm, "Oh your arm. It's injured!" "Eh, I've had worse." Zen shrugs, not worrying about it. Shirayuki went through her bag as she says, "You're in luck, I'm an herbalist. I have a healing poultice you can use on it, that'll help." "No thanks." Leona and Shirayuki are off guard as Zen points his sword at them, "It could be poison or something. I'm not gonna to fall for that little trick. I wasn't born yesterday, y'know. Trust is something earn, not given. In other words, we're done here." "Oh" Shirayuki simply said, "So off you two go then."

"Well, he does have a valid point." Leona thoughts, "I mean, I did push Shirayuki behind me because I thought they'll hurt her. Looks like I have to convince him we're no threat. Plus pretty boy has no right to say that to Shirayuki." Leona slightly glares at him as she grabs his sword, "Hey. What the--?" Leona slams the flat surface of the sword hard on her left arm, causing a bruise to appear. She lets go as Zen backs away, "No-- What are you-?" Leona looks at Shirayuki and Shirayuki realized what her friend is doing and get the healing poultice out. The three watches as Shirayuki puts the healing poultice on the bandage and place it on Leona's injury. Leona shows them that nothing's happening to her as she says, "Sorry to disappoint ya, but usually neither of us carry poison with us."

Zen is shock that he dropped his sword, Mitsuhide laughs and said, "She sure got you there, Zen." Zen kneels down and laugh too, and said with a smile, "I'm sorry about that. My name's Zen." "Mine's Leona." "And mine is Shirayuki." Zen held his arm out to her as he said, "it's lovely to meet you Leona and Shirayuki. However, I think you're at least partially responsible for my less than graceful landing." "Huh?" "Actually you were the one who notice us first. Who's idea was it to jump over a wall?" Leona said as she raises an eyebrow, "Well well, look who's being sassy." Zen said amusingly at Leona's words. The group went inside the house as Shirayuki patches Zen's injury. "No one lives in this house, but we spend time here." Zen said as he, Leona and Shirayuki turns to Mitsuhide and Kiki who's playing chess.

"So, the one getting beaten at chess over there is Mitsuhide." Mitsuhide is shock when he lost again, "The one doing the beating is Kiki." "Zen, how do you know I'm losing when you aren't even paying attention to the game?" Mitsuhide asked, "I can just tell." Zen said, making Mitsuhide pouted, "I'm shellacking you." Kiki said, Mitsuhide is clearly not amused. "Okay, you're all fixed up now." Shirayuki said as she's finished patching Zen's arm before moving to patch Leona's arm. "Wow, you've got impressive skills, Shirayuki." Zen said, very impressed. "I've been at this a while, I did tell you I was an herbalist." Shirayuki said as she's finished patching Leona's arm.

"Yes you did. So, why would a talented herbalist and her friend run away from home?" Zen asked, Leona and Shirayuki freezes when they heard his question. Leona frowns hard as Shirayuki answers, "The reason's not important." "We don't want to talk about it." Leona said, clearly not happy about what happened in Tanbarun. "Excuse me, I need some air." Shirayuki said standing up and leave the house, "I'm coming too." Leona said, need some fresh air too so she can cool some steam out of her.

Leona and Shirayuki walk through the forest and Leona heard footsteps behind her and asked, "Mind telling me why did you follow us?" "I couldn't let you two go into these woods all by your lonesome. That would be quite ungentlemanly." "Well aren't you sweet?" Leona said sarcastically, "Oddball." Shirayuki said, "We became very comfortable in the mountains and forests while studying to be an herbalist." Shirayuki and Leona stops walking and admiring the nature as a soft breeze blew with their hair moving with it.

"The time and air here seem to flow differently than they do in town." Leona sighs happily, feeling calm and happy, "I actually like it much better." The air on earth usual feels dirty and unclear back in her timeline unlike in the heavens, but here almost feels much like the air in the heavens. "I couldn't agree more." Zen agrees, "Look who isn't all bluff and bluster." Shirayuki teases as Zen slightly blushes, Leona giggles when she sees that. "Humans are strange and some are dangerous, but most are cute when they blush." Leona thought to herself. "Ow!" Shirayuki yelped causing Leona and Zen to turn to see if she's alright, they see her against the tree, with her hands behind her head, "That really hurts." Zen and Leona looks behind her hand and saw a some long strands of her hair is stuck on the bark of the tree. "Oh, looks like your hair's caught." Zen said, "You have a strand that's longer than the others." "You must've missed that piece earlier, Shirayuki." Leona said, "Uh, hey, Zen, will you cut it off for me?" "Huh?" "It doesn't have to be straight."

"Possibly." Zen said as Leona and Shirayuki looks at him in surprise, "But I'll only do it if you answer a question for me. "Huh?" "Did cutting your hair have something to do with why you two ran away from home? If you tell me the reason, maybe then I can help you." "You're terrible, you know that?" Leona said with an unamused stare, Zen raises his hand up in surrender. Leona and Shirayuki agrees, and Zen cuts her hair. Leona and Shirayuki explains everything to him, from when they met and became best friends, like a sister relationship to them running away from their home. "You both were ordered to be concubines?" Zen asked in surprise, "Yes, by a very famous boy. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he learned to speak in the red-light district." Leona said, still not happy about it, "He thought our hair was unusual, and wanted to keep them for himself like prizes. If we'd obeyed his order, it would've been just like he was buying two apples at the fruit seller." "Leona, Shirayuki..." "So that's why, I thought that I'd given him at least a part of what he wanted, and I left my hair behind."

Zen stares at them for few moments before starting laughing, "That was ingenious thinking!" "Huh?" Leona was clearly confused, "Good job getting away from that dunce. It's your lucky red, after all." "I don't get it." Leona said confusingly, "What do you mean by that?" Shirayuki asked, confused as well. "Well... Color has meaning. And red is supposed to represent fate." Leona's eyes widen slightly when she heard that, "you may not like it much now, but your red might lead to something good when you least expect it."

Leona was shocked, her red hair represent fate, that probably means since her mother is a reincarnated Goddess of Fate before reborn as a human, Leona was born with bright red hair, surprising everyone. That would kinda explains everything when her parents and her god friends keeps telling her that her hair is special ever since she was a child and she couldn't understand it back then, they must been trying to tell her that her red hair means fate.

"Wow, you haven an amazing outlook, Zen." Shirayuki said, snapping Leona away from her thoughts, "Oh! Some respect!" Zen said jokingly, Leona smiles at her human friends. "You know, now that I think about it. Those two are pretty cute together. I can't wait to see them together." Leona thinks happily as the three continue their conversation. The three made their way back to the house and they saw a covered basket with a note on the doorstep. Zen approaches it as he said, "What's this?" Leona and Shirayuki stop at their tracks as they gasps what's on the handle of the basket. "Oh no! That's the ribbon I had tied to my hair." "And that means..." Leona said as Zen looks at them in shock, the cover slips off the basket to reveal apples and white roses.

"...He found us..."

They went inside the house, Zen reads the note as Shirayuki fixes Leona's braid. "So you're both from Tanbarun, I see." Zen said after he finished reading the note, both Leona and Shirayuki nodded to Zen's words. "Meaning the person who dropped off this basket traveled all the way the border just to find you two. He is a determined fellow, I'll give him that much." "Right?" Shirayuki chuckles as she finished fixing Leona's braid, tying the end with her old ribbon.

"I don't think it's funny, Shirayuki." Leona said to her friend, "She's right: this isn't a joke!" Zen said, agreeing with Leona, "How bad was it that you two were forced to flee the kingdom?" "We had to leave because of who he is. Someone powerful. The first prince of Tanbarun." "Raji?!" Zen yells in anger, surprising Leona and Shirayuki, "That royal moron?!" "Are you ok?" Leona asked both concern and confused, "How does Zen know about that sorry excuse of a prince?" Leona asks herself in her thoughts. "Yes, that's him. He's so stupid that even all the neighboring countries know it." Shirayuki said, "I don't blame you guys for running. He doubtlessly had people everywhere tearing apart all the border crossing records." 

"Do you really think he would go that far?" Leona asked, doesn't know that humans can do something like that or not, especially back in her timeline, "If there's something he wants bad enough, he probably already assumes it belongs to him." Zen said, "Man, who knew? Maybe Zyg and Scorpio were right, there are some humans that can be selfish." "Even if it means caging it, he's awful." Shirayuki said as she takes an apple for the basket. Leona noticed the brown part of the apple and have a weird feeling about that apple. Shirayuki notice the brown part of the apple and said, "It's starting to go bad. This red is no good to anyone now." Shirayuki said softly.

Shirayuki notice Leona and Zen staring at her, and she force a smile on her face as she said, "I'm just kidding." Zen gets up and walks over to Shirayuki, as she and Leona stares at him confusingly, "Zen." "What are you-" Zen grab Shirayuki's hand which has the apple and took a bite at it, Shirayuki is surprise by this action as Leona smiles, "Yup, I'm right. those two are so cute together." Leona thoughts as she gave a small smile. "How uncouth of you." Mitsuhide's voice caught them by surprise as Zen begins to cough from being choke from the piece of apple he took, "That's her apple, Zen. Why don't you go get your own?" "What are you--(coughs) (coughs)" "You should either talk or eat. Don't do both." "Nobody asked you. Stay out of it!" "Well now you're just being rude." "Zen!" "What now?!" "I was being foolish. I'm sorry." Zen just stare at her for a bit, and Leona noticed he's starting to get pale. "Shirayuki, I would put that apple down if I were you." Zen warns her, making Shirayuki and Leona confused, "Kiki. Mitsuhide. Don't get mad." Zen begins to wobble and fell to his knees, "Zen!" Kiki and Mitsuhide ran up her him as Zen fell and Mitsuhide caught him, stunning Leona and Shirayuki.

"What happened?" "Zen!" Shirayuki rubs the apple on her arm and smell the scent and noticed a strange smell, "It's poisoned!" Shirayuki said after confirming the smell. "What?!" Leona is surprised, "Why are the apples poisoned?!" "Can you help him?!" Kiki asked them, "I want to heal him, but I can't risk letting them know about me being a goddess." Leona thought in fear, feeling completely helpless, "Give me a moment!" Shirayuki said as she goes into her bag to find the antidote, but couldn't. "It's no good, I can't prepare one with what I have." "What are we gonna do?!" Leona panic in fear of losing one of her first human friends. "If I don't hurry..." They heard the door opening and they all saw a palace messenger, it's the same messenger Leona and Shirayuki saw before in Tanbarun.

"My, my, it looks like as though someone else has tasted the apple instead of Miss Shirayuki and Miss Leona." the guard said, "Who are you?" Mitsuhide demands as Kiki prepares to take out her sword and fight. "Oh no." "Not you again..." "Hmm, this changes things." "How could you do this?!" Shirayuki said, "You monster!" Leona yelled at the messenger, "Calm yourselves. A certain someone possesses the antidote. I trust now you both will come with me quietly?" Leona growls at the guard with a glare, but she knew she and Shirayuki has no choice, the two left the house, following the messenger and enters a carriage. They arrived back to Tanbarun and to a beautiful mansion, once they went in and enters a room, they saw a man who has brown hair and forest green eyes. He has a small beauty mark under his left eye and wears formal and royal clothes. His name is Prince Raji.

"Oh, so you both made it!" Raji is amazed by the sight of Leona's and Shirayuki's hair, "I have to say, it's quite a surprise. I didn't believe that red hair you left behind was real." "Uh, so what about the antidote?" Shirayuki asked as Leona glares at Raji the whole time, "All in good time." Raji said as he sat down on the chair in front of Leona and Shirayuki, "Just so you know, Miss Leona and Miss Shirayuki, the world is very judgmental, the fact that I graciously courted you two and you both ran away, has since made me a laughingstock all over Tanbarun and in the royal palace." "Gee, I wonder why?" Leona thought sarcastically in her mind.

"Thanks to you two, public opinion of me has plummeted drastically. However, despite my shame, the unanimous opinion is that it's nobody else's fault but your own." Raji snaps his fingers, coming to a decision, and continues, "Understand. We have to wipe the filth from my good name, and in order to do that, you both will have to become my concubines." Leona and Shirayuki gasps, couldn't believe what they heard from him, "I would never dream of causing women embarrassment, not even two lowly commoners such as yourselves. you two can thank me for my generosity now."

"Are-- Are you kidding me?!" Leona said in anger, she couldn't believe this human, now she begins to understand why some gods in the heavens don't like humans, they're greedy and selfish. "And will you focus?! What's more important is the antidote! Our friend is very sick and he needs to have it right now!" "Oh, that's right, of course!" Raji says, snapping his fingers again, "If you both agree to my proposal, I will have it delivered for him immediately. Or, dearests..." Raji held out a red apple to her and Shirayuki, "... would you both prefer I give him another apple instead?" he drops the apple, in slow motion as the apple fell, Leona and Shirayuki remembers what Zen told them.

"Color has meaning. And red is supposed to represent fate. You may not like it much now, but your red might lead to something good when you least expect it."

The apple hits the floor and it rolls to their feet, "Lead to something good?" Leona thoughts, clinching her hand into a fist, "The only thing Shirayuki and I lead him to is getting poisoned." "I have to say Miss Leona, now I can see how more beautiful you are than Miss Shirayuki, I think I should keep you very close to me and make you my favorite." Raji seducing Leona, playing with her long braided hair. Leona feels disgusted, knowing he was trying to seduce her, but she's not falling for that. Because of that, she relaxed her hand and slaps his hand away from her, caught him off guard, "Wha--? Why'd you--?" "Oh, my apologies." Leona said in a cold tone, causing Raji to flinch and surprising Shirayuki since she never heard Leona using that tone in her voice before, "Fine, Prince Raji. Take us if you wish, but you should know what your getting yourself into."

"Wait, stay back!" they gasps when they heard a soldier yelling and a thud, "Huh?" the door was kicked out as the soldier was kicked back as well, it was Zen. "I object!" "Zen!?" Leona and Shirayuki exclaims in shock, surprise to see him still moving. "You wench!" the soldier, screams as he and Zen fought, but Zen overpowers him and knocks him out cold, at the entrance of the door stood Kiki and Mitsuhide and at their feet is another soldier who is also knock unconscious, Zen turn towards Raji, Leona, and Shirayuki and glares at Raji as he said, "You will stop spewing such disgusting filth that sullies those poor girls' ears, you boorish pig!" 

Raji whimpers in fear, as Leona and Shirayuki runs up to him, "Zen!" "Shirayuki, Leona hey. Tie this for me?" Zen asked, held out his arm to Shirayuki, "Wait, before that, what about your body?" Shirayuki asked, "Yeah, how are you still moving?" Leona asked, clearly confused. "I've spent the last few years building up an immunity to different poisons." Zen explains, "Yeah, but you--" "Aha!" Raji cuts Shirayuki off, "So you were the one who took a bite of the poisoned apple. Well, that was rather unfortunate. I was planning on immobilizing Miss Shirayuki and Miss Leona so I could take them back home with me."

"Why am I not surprised that you were behind a bad apple?" Zen said as Shirayuki fixed his bandage, "Best mind your manners around me, country boy! Peasants like you should show more respect to royalty." "Since when did anyone gives respect to a selfish idiot like you?!" Leona screams, clearly irritated. "oh, pardon me, sensitive, delicate first monarch of Tanbarun, I mean, Prince Raji Shenazard." "Eh?" "I'm not one for formal introductions, but..." Zen shows Raji a symbol on his sword.

"I recognize that crest." Raji said, seeing that symbol before. "As well you should, imbecile. Meet the Second Prince of Clarines kingdom. I'm Zen Wistaria." "A... prince?" Shirayuki said as she and Leona stares at him in surprise, Leona is speechless, "I did not see that coming." "Did he say prince?" Raji gasps in fear, "Zen please calm down. Get a hold of yourself! Wait! Do you know who I am? What's one plus one?" "Are you sure the poison didn't reach to your brain and making you delusional?" Leona asked, making sure what she heard is right, "It's true girls." Zen answers, "But I never actually thought I'd be poisoned by anyone, much less a half-wit prince from a neighboring kingdom. Could mean war." "No. Besides you..." Raji panicky tries to prove he's innocent, "You have no proof whatsoever that I poisoned the apple!" "Oh, I think we have plenty." Kiki said, "Yeah, we'll see what's what when we make an official inquiry, liar." Mitsuhide said, "No! Please wait, I--" Raji fell and lands on his chair, trembling in fear.

"Well then, why don't we make a trade, Prince Moron?" Zen said, "If you don't want your deceptive actions to be a matter of public record, then swear you will never come near Leona and Shirayuki again. Or even dare to say their names out loud." "How do you know Leona and--" Zen threaten Raji with his sword, causing Raji to fall back and quickly said, "Okay, okay! I promise! Please! Cross my heart!" "Hmm, pathetic." Leona said, crossing her arms, "Leona, Shirayuki, surely you both have a few things you'd like to say to him." Zen said, looking at the two red heads. "If you want to air some grievances, you should do it now." "I think I'm good, seeing Raji trembling like a leaf is enough for me, even though I still couldn't believe someone so pathetic and scared like that coward could be a prince." Leona said.

Shirayuki approached Raji and kneel down to say, "Here Prince Raji." She held out the same apple Raji dropped and continues, "To get your strength back since you're so shocked you can't even move. Also..." "Yes?" "Give Zen the antidote now." "Yes, ma'am." After Raji left the mansion, Zen drinks the antidote, "Thank you." Shirayuki said as she and Leona bows to Zen, well she's on her knees while Leona is still on her feet, "For what, Shirayuki?" Zen asked, "Because you saved us from danger Zen. But I'm sorry. It would seem I'm only poisonous to you." "Shirayuki thinks we lead Zen to get poisoned too." Leona thinks, "I'm sorry too." Leona apologized as well, "Is that supposed to be a joke? Because I was poisoned by an apple? You two are as red as one, is that what you mean?" Zen asked amused, "No, not really." Leona said.

"Don't worry, it's not something for which you two to apology." Kiki reassures Leona and Shirayuki, "Zen made the choice to eat the apple himself, but we all should've been a lot more careful about it. That's all. Although, Mitsuhide carried on like the end of the world was near and started to weep like a child." "Hey, shut up Kiki!" Mitsuhide said, clearly embarrassed, "So tragic." "OK, OK, next time I eat fruit, I'll have Mitsuhide tested it out before I eat it." Zen said, "Uh, what's that now?" Zen laughs as Leona covers her mouth, trying not to laugh or giggle at Mitsuhide's embarrassment. "Leona, Shirayuki, do you two remember what I said to you in the forest?" Zen asked as he approach them. "I meant every word. And I truly hope our fate brought us together for something good. We all happened to be in the same place for very different reasons, and we saved each other. Maybe poison isn't always bad. Maybe our meeting wasn't a fluke but instead the beginning of a new chapter. I guess it's up to you two now."

"Is that true?" Leona asked, "we can choose our fate for ourselves?" "Of course. That's exactly what I'm doing and nobody is going to stop me. You can follow one path or you can go a different direction, neither which is wrong." "Zen, you--" "I'm what?" "You know, I really do like the way you think." Shirayuki said, "Same here." Leona said, "But it's not the way I think, it's how I live." Zen held out his hand to Shirayuki and asked, "So, what's your answer?" "Well, it's literally our stories. If we had our way, on the path in front of us after this encounter, you can hear the sounds of pages turning in this story, and they would echo like our footsteps moving towards-" "Destiny." Shirayuki finishes as if she knew what Leona is thinking, she grabs Zen's hand and Zen turn towards Leona, "What about you, Leona?" Leona gave her human friends a smile and gave them an answer,

"I'm in."

"I think this is a start of a beautiful friendship.... and my new life here with all my human friends begins...

https://youtu.be/GO0PtD02qqg