S.
"Just wait until you see the tree! The tinsel and baubles and ornaments look so pretty when all the candles are lit. I picked out the star too, and Effie helped me put—"
Sakura nodded along quietly to Elise's enthusiastic chatter. The youngest Nohrian princess was practically dragging her through Castle Krakenburg, where hallways and stairwells that had been dark and drafty during a previous visit were now brightly lit and decorated with wreaths and ribbons. Although Hoshido had celebrated the winter solstice just a few days before, Nohr had their own winter traditions that were completely different.
"— and it makes the room smell lovely!"
A head poked out from around a corner, followed by the rest of a person. "Elise, could you lower your voice? The entire castle doesn't need to hear you." Leo's eyes flicked towards Sakura. "Ah, good evening Lady Sakura. I trust that your journey here was smooth?"
"Y-yes, it was." Her voice shook. "Th-there was quite a bit of snow, but I suppose that's expected for this time of year."
"It does make the countryside look prettier, don't you think?" Leo swept his hand toward a nearby window. "When the wind stops blowing, and the sky clears up, you can see a white blanket stretch to the horizon."
Sakura nodded, following his gaze. "The inside of the castle is quite beautiful, too."
"Have you seen the banquet hall, or the throne room?" Leo inquired. He smiled at her, something that, according to Elise, was a rare sight even for his siblings. "They were decorated just last week. I'd be happy to give you a tour."
The carpet, dark red and woven with gold thread, was suddenly very interesting to Sakura. She stared at the intricate pattern beneath Leo's boots. "I-I'd like that… I m-mean, it's very kind of you to offer..."
"Hey!" Elise put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Leo, I was showing her around first, before you interrupted us!"
The prince blinked, as if he had just remembered that Elise was there. "Fair point," he conceded. "I will be in the library if you need me, then." He inclined his head at Sakura. "I look forward to our next conversation."
E.
"What's this plant for, hanging from the ceiling? I've never seen it before."
"Hmm?" Elise tilted her head back to follow Sakura's pointed finger. Attached to a short, red ribbon was a cluster of light green leaves with milky-white berries. "Ah, that's mistletoe. You'll have to watch where you're walking! It's tradition that any man and woman that walk under mistletoe are supposed to kiss, or else bad luck falls on both of them."
She watched Sakura turn pink at her words. "L-like, on the lips?" the Hoshidan princess stammered.
Elise giggled at her reaction. "Well, I suppose it could be on the cheek." She quickly covered her face to hide a sudden mischievous smile. "Oh! I nearly forgot. There was something I wanted to show to you before dinner! While I get it from my room, could you… wait in the library for me? It's just around the corner."
"The library? Okay, I'll see you there."
As soon as Sakura had disappeared down the hallway, Elise sprinted in the other direction, towards her retainers' quarters. "Hey Effie, Arthur! Do either of you know where I can find some mistletoe?"
L.
Leo idly skimmed through the pages of his book in a chair next to the fireplace. He was really just passing time until dinner, as King Xander had forced all his advisors to take the day off. The prince's study had been ransacked by his brother, and everything that Leo could have been working on was taken away from him.
The sound of the door opening, and then closing again made him sit up straight. In the flickering firelight he saw the slight form of Princess Sakura appear between the bookshelves. She froze as their eyes met.
"I-I don't mean to intrude… Elise asked me to wait here while she retrieved something for her room."
"You're welcome to sit down, Lady Sakura," Leo said, gesturing towards another chair on the opposite side of the fire. "Did Elise mention what she was trying to find?"
Sakura shook her head, slipping into the armchair. "No, she didn't." She fidgeted, playing with her sleeve. "How have you been recently?"
He told her about his diplomatic missions, and his research into magic and technology. It wasn't long until he found himself going on and on about every detail of his work. Even if she found his ramblings to be boring, Sakura was a patient listener, and she did a convincing job pretending to be genuinely interested.
The realization that he was only talking about himself hit Leo after some time. He shook his head, upset at himself. "But what about you, Sakura? Has anything of note happened to you? Have any… have any suitors asked for your hand yet?"
"P-pardon me?" Sakura sputtered in surprise. "Wh-where is this question coming from, Leo?"
He forced himself to hide his own personal curiosity behind a face of passive interest. "Well, Elise entertained her first suitor last month. I was… not fond of him. I still think of her as a little girl, but she's old enough now to make her own choices. Thankfully, she didn't like him at all."
"Oh, I see." She avoided his gaze and looked towards the fireplace. "N-no one has approached me about marriage yet."
The door opened and closed again, making both of them flinch. A servant stepped into the light, bowing deeply. "Lord Leo, Lady Sakura, your presence is requested at the banquet hall for dinner."
After the attendant had left, Leo set his book down, which had become been neglected in their conversation, and stood up, with Sakura doing the same. He offered his arm to her. "I'll lead you to the banquet hall."
He saw a conflicted expression flash across her face, before she wrapped her arm around his. They walked to the door silently. Leo took deliberate measures to ensure that he didn't walk too fast, and so their feet moved in unison. As they stepped into the hallway, he felt her freeze.
"Is everything alright?" he asked her. Sakura was looking towards the ceiling, her mouth in an 'o' and her eyes wide. Leo glanced up to see a tiny stem of leaves and berries suspended on a string above them. Mistletoe.
They looked at each other. Sakura's cheeks were a deep pink. "Th-that means…" she begun. "That means we have to k-kiss, right? Or else we'll have bad luck?"
Leo waved his hand. "I don't believe in that superstition. Let's keep walking." He tried to coax her into moving, but she remained in place. "Sakura?"
She slipped her arm free, and, on her tiptoes, kissed him flush on the lips. It was like a bolt of lightning had shot through him, stunning him.
Sakura backed away from him slowly, as though equally surprised by her own boldness. "I-I'll see you at dinner, L-Leo…" Then she turned and hurried away from him, her head down.
When Elise came looking for him a few minutes later, she found him still staring in disbelief, and touching his lips with a shaky hand.
Written and proofread in less than a day. I hope I didn't make any glaring mistakes, because I'll never get around to fixing them.