Akagami no Shirayuki-hime – 07

Last week threatened to keep Shirayuki away from Zen in just the moment when she wanted to see him the most, but this episode washes that threat away by revealing Zen on the balcony above where she was looking. Somewhat surprisingly, rather than using the stairs Shirayuki climbs a tree in order to be on the same level as Zen, and they share a warm embrace neither is in a hurry to end.

After they touch base about what was said at the banquet Shirayuki wasn’t invited to, Zen tells her a story about Prince Izana that paints a pretty succinct picture of the kind of man he is. One minute, he’s a 17-year-old playboy who has a palace built between two feuding countries, who proceed to send him riches to ingratiate themselves with him, to the detriment of their own people. The next, he’s a princely mastermind, expelling both lords, replacing them with the envoys he’s come to know and trust, and returned all the gold the old lords gave him to the countries to help their people. Thus ended the feud.

Thus, we learn while Zen can sometimes use and manipulate people for his entertainment, the primary goal is the betterment of the people he rules. He knows what it means to be king, and believes Zen is staying from that path. When Izana takes the throne, should anything happen to him, Zen will succeed him.

Seeing him infatuated with some red-haired commoner is, like that feud between lords, something he feels responsible for solving. At the same time, he respects that Zen has grown a spine, and isn’t so quick to bow before his brother. Zen believes he can still be a good prince and a good king without leaving Shirayuki’s side. Izana is dubious, but allows Zen the chance to prove it.

Meanwhile, Raj is still a guest of Izana’s, and as he tours the castle grows increasingly stressed about seeing Shirayuki. Last week he called her Zen’s fiancee, and the rumors have spread furiously throughout the castle. Knowing the power of his careless words all too well, Raj isn’t all that gung-ho about crossing paths with Shirayuki. It’s a great inversion of the power dynamic that formerly existed between these two.

Naturally, while seeking a medicine for his upset stomach (caused by all the stress), Raj does indeed cross paths with Shirayuki, and their equally awkward tense, and courteous encounter is punctuated when Shirayuki slaps away a topical medicine Raj is about to drink. She also tells Raj to become the prince of her homeland that she can be proud of, even if she isn’t living there anymore.

Izana witnesses the entire exchange, and just as Shirayuki learned about him through Zen, he learns more about her. She makes it clear to him she isn’t leaving Clarines, or backing down, or even averting her eyes. Izana even kisses her above her eye (beating Zen to the punch in the facial kiss area), but she doesn’t flinch or recoil. Seeing how she dealt with Raj and himself, I’m certain Izana’s opinion of this red-haired “nuisance” has improved considerably, and may be coming to understand perhaps she won’t bring ruin to Zen’s prncely path.