I'll try to keep any author's notes as brief and sparing as possible, though there are a few things I have to cover right now that will make this initial set pretty long. I'll try to keep my author's notes to be exclusively information that (probably) won't be mentioned in story.
First: know that this fic is mainly a self-indulgent thing to get me writing again. I may abandon it at some point. I mainly just want to write a story without heavy planning for the fun of it.
Second: This is my Fates world which veers away from canon entirely. Many characters follow characterisations that are completely counter to their canon ones. If you don't want to see the Nohrian royals and many others bastardised, then just stop reading now.
(A quick note on names: René = Niles. Luna = Serena/Severa. Isaiah = Laslow/Inigo. Marius = Odin/Owain)
If you want why: the Awakening kids' personalities are different due to their parents (Kellam, Gregor, and Ricken respectively), so the canon aliases didn't fit. Plus, I dislike the name Severa, so I changed it to Serena canonically. For Reiko, she changed her name to go native and hopefully be accepted by the Hoshidan people better (though it really didn't work). For René, Niles was his old assassin/thief alias and "René" means "rebirth" since becoming Leo's retainer marked a changing point in his life.
Third: this fic will deal with many heavy themes (abuse of all kinds, suicide, self-harm, and potentially others) as well as the psychological ramifications of them and war. There will also be graphic depictions of self-harm at points. Again, stop reading now if you don't want to deal with that.
Fourth: the first chapters are meant to serve as an introduction/base into my world and the bizarre characterisations. These are just snapshots to help give you an idea of what to expect with the characters and hint at the darker themes and will not be the standard formatting. The first three chapters from Leo's view take place about a year before canon (he's about thirteen) while Takumi's are shortly before canon starts (he's about fifteen). So that means there's a one year gap between the two of them. I'll give more ages later on. Also these first chapters will be mostly mundane, focused around everyday occurrences/interactions since these sorts of scenarios tend to speak most to how people and characters are.
Fifth: Any and all complaints about changes/dark themes will be ignored as you have been given clear warnings.
On that note, if you're still interested, read on and I hope you enjoy! Just be prepared to get kicked in the soul a couple dozen times along the way!
"It looks like this village is the last one on the list." Leo looked up from the page in Brynhildr that listed all of the villages he needed to visit. With the growing season due to start in just a couple of months, he'd made his first of many pilgrimages around Nohr to help the farmers. He coughed a bit, ignoring the slight prickling sensation in his throat. René eyed him as did Marius, but he gave his retainers a reassuring smile. After a moment, they nodded and reined their horses around, heading into the small village.
It took only a matter of moments before the farmers gathered around and Leo dismounted, a small smile on his face. They ruffled his hair, giving him rough greetings and he passed from hug to hug, getting treated like a long-lost son.
"Gentlemen, I know you're excited, but time is short. Please, tell me what issues have plagued you this past winter so I know how best to handle the situation. I need to be home by week's end to get on the campaign trail soon." He winced at the thought and the stabbing sensation in his throat, but as Nohr's chief tactician, it wouldn't do to have him absent from the first major battle of the war season.
It wasn't long until he fell into the usual thousand questions. By now, he knew of the harsh conditions that had ravaged the Nohrian countryside. It had been bitterly cold even for Nohr that year and the soil was hard which would make tilling the fields even harder than normal. He was already sick with worry over what it would mean for the people and war effort. It might finally be enough for Hoshido to break through and win the war that had been stalemated for so long. Would it really be such a bad thing if Garon died, though? But if Mikoto were anything like his mother, then she had no doubt rolled over and accepted whatever path fate would take long ago…
He shook the thought away and continued questioning the farmers until he broke away into one of his coughing fits. Needles stabbed the inside of his throat and he struggled to intake air, stopping only when he felt René's arms wrap around him, helping steady his weak frame. The farmers fell silent for a moment as he took a waterskin from his retainer, wincing at the bitter herbal mixture in it. René picked up right where he had left off and the farmers continued on as if nothing had happened.
Despite everything, Leo continued to listen with the occasional sip to the waterskin to help soothe his throat. He mentally ran through the list of Brynhildr's spells and put together what would be needed to assist them. Even knowing the general conditions, it was still best to know what each village needed exactly so that he could help them to the best of his ability.
He handed the waterskin back to René after the conversation ended and grabbed his violin off Aylenan's saddle. After tuning it for a moment, he felt the magic start to flow from the notes and a smile came to this face. The look of relief on the farmers' faces made these journeys more than worth it despite the severe physical toll it took on his body.
He finished the small performance about half an hour later, putting his violin away. After he did, he nearly collapsed, but René caught him in the same one. He pressed a hand to Leo's forehead and sighed, shaking his head, tapping a message into the prince's side.
Your fever is going to be even worse than normal when we get back to the castle. Princess Elise isn't going to be happy. The retainer shot him a disapproving look but Leo just gave him a weak smile in return.
I'll be fine, René; I always am in the end. He wasn't sure if he'd be recovered fully before the war season, but he prayed he would be. There was no telling what Garon would do to him if he wasn't. He shoved the thoughts to the side and smiled at the farmers who returned it.
"Thank you so much, Prince Leo; we don't know what we'd do without your help every season." David took his hat off and put it above his heart, though Hendrik grumbled and folded his arms.
"Well, we do since we can remember when Katerina—" Levi smacked and glared at Hendrik for the comment while David just kept his attention on the prince and his retainer.
"Would you like to rest for awhile, Prince Leo? I know how much this takes out of you and you look in no shape to be traveling. My wife definitely wouldn't mind offering you a bed for the night." He spoke to René instead of Leo since they all knew full well Leo's voice was spent.
"While we appreciate the offer of hospitality, David, it's prudent to return Prince Leo to the castle as soon as possible before his fever sets in." David nodded and put his hat back on.
"Of course. May the dusk lead to a clear night." David smiled one last time and René returned it with a faint one of his own.
That accomplished, Leo closed his eyes and felt the archer's arms lift him up, mounting his horse. The prince's head lolled to the side and and it wasn't long until the steady movement and sound of the walking hooved lulled him into a fevered slumber.
I'll explain what that "tapping" mentioned is at the end of next chapter.