Shirayuki is an herbalist famous for her naturally bright-red hair, and the prince of Tanbarun wants her all to himself Unwilling to become the prince's possession, she seeks shelter in the woods of the neighboring kingdom, where she gains an unlikely ally--the prince of that kingdom He rescues her from her plight, and thus begins the love story between a lovestruck prince and an unusual herbalist.

Finally rid of the Claw of the Sea, Shirayuki and company return to Clarines--just in time for Palace Exhibition Day, the one day the palace is open to the public. But as Zen, bedecked in fancy garb, performs his princely duties, Shirayuki realizes how wide the gap between them truly is.