Why are people disappointed about Zen's and Shirayuki's status anyway. The complaints about the recent story arcs being boring and dragged out, i get it, though i personally still like it. I like it when the story revolves around its world and not the other way around. But the complaints about the main couple being separated? like huh? I guess you just want the teetee wholesome fuwafuwa romance moments, but hey, Zen and Shirayuki have their own aspirations as well. Isn't that amazing? two people working hard and full of aspirations and dreams, and both towards the same goal even. The respectable and capable prince to stand up for his commoner heroine, and the heroine who strives to be better at her career and get more experience and respect enough to stay by zen's side.

Y'all really need to stop trashing on one of the few shojou mangas featuring a healthy relationship. Yes it started off all nice and fluffy and with minor incidents surrounding the protagonists but those were to strengthen the foundations of their relationship if anything else. The dude's a prince, OF COURSE he can't be around her all the time, and Shirayuki is a hard working young woman looking to take her career further and make herself experienced and powerful enough to stay by Zen's side, without causing too much of a ruckus. Growth comes only when you step outside your comfort zones, obviously for them that meant walking separate paths on the same journey that lead to a common destination. Zen grows as a prince who can be respectable and capable enough to govern parts of a country AND stand up for his non-royal girlfriend when the time comes to protect her when they wish to be with each other. Izana sending Shirayuki on the task of introducing the flower to the knights was OBVIOUSLY his way of saying girl knows how to move people, go move em and get their backup like you moved Raj and you can stay by Zen's side a lil easier.

Why is this so difficult to understand? Changes like this don't happen overnight, it takes time and sacrifices from people. It makes no sense where things will end happily ever after for them if they had stayed in the same place the whole time. All this separation, doing their own things, meeting up very rarely, it's all part of a long distance relationship, which is essentially what they're in, right? And about Obi, he's a mysterious character, and I know that people don't like the screen time he gets with Shirayuki while Zen is so far away AND TRUST ME I'VE GRITTED MY TEETH FAR TOO MANY TIMES AS WELL, but they've been in the same place for over two years now. If Obi wanted to make a move and absolutely couldn't hold himself back, it would've happened by now. I don't see a romantic future with Shirayuki for Obi yet.(and I hope I don't because if you hurt Zen I'm coming for you, author-san)

Now about the lack of romance, yes there isn't enough. The flower research thing wasn't the most entertaining stuff to read, agreed, but it was necessary to show that Zen and Shirayuki had things in their life that wasn't just the other person. Could it have been a little shorter? Yeah, I guess so, yes, but it was more realistic to make it this long. After all, it's two years of the characters lives and you can only do so many time-skips before that gets annoying. I do admit that this probably isn't how lovers staying apart deal with not seeing each other, I wish there had been a TAD more sighing and pining, because sometimes I felt like Shirayuki was strangely fine with not being able to see Zen...and then I realize that's probably just what she's like. Even in the beginning, she was late to realize her feelings, faints at the smallest show of affections etc and it's probably a part of her personality to not dwell on it too much and move on. Plus they seem to always be writing letters to each other. Of course, I do hope for the focus to shift a little more on their relationship because as nice as this separation thing is for them, it's also important to show how a relationship progresses under such conditions of duress because the parties involved ALWAYS being optimistic and moving forward...is a little unrealistic.

Anywho, that's my 2 cents. Give it time. Ultimately, it's the author's personal creation, it's her artistic liberty to take the characters forward the way she wants. As a fan I want to support her because no matter what happens, I'll always be thankful for giving people a refreshing, healthier relationship between two people, and a story that's not filled with fan-service and meaningless fluff, but something a little more in touch with reality.

So even if it hasn't much progress in the romance side, the evolution of Yona and what she will do regarding her current situation is the main focus. But maybe it's because it has more action and the issues are more important?

I'd be much more annoyed if Shirayuki stayed in the castle for no reason other than to stick to Zen (she can't even be of service to him there! it's not like she's an aid or sth- she's a pharmacist for crying out loud!). It makes much more sense for her to choose to further her career as a pharmacist/researcher helping Ryuu in Lyrias, where she can actually be of more use and where she can find a purpose for herself and become worthy of standing by Zen's side in the future.