Inspired in part by the first one-shot of LovelyLori's Hand in Hand. You should read that instead of this.
You can call it a "pre-romance" or whatever, but I'm just going to call it Friendship. Not that I know much about that. (i.e. it's open to interpretation)
Written and proofread in less than 36 hours, so expect it to be terrible.
"...which should work out to at least fifty thousand pounds of produce before winter comes, barring any unforeseen problems." Leo looked up from the sheaf of papers in his hands. "Do you think that will be possible, Lady Sakura?"
The Hoshidan princess nodded back from across the table. "I can't d-decide for the daimyos, but I see no issues with your requests. Now we're just left with—" She paused, stifling a yawn. "—with figuring out compensation."
After a brutal war between Hoshido and Nohr less than a year before that ended with the deaths of three Nohrian royals, amends between the two kingdoms were slowly being made. It started small, such as negotiating the movement of much needed food to Nohr to mitigate the winter famines.
Deemed by her oldest brother to be the most diplomatic and unbiased of the family, Sakura had been sent to Nohr with the mission of fixing ties between the two nations. To her surprise, the representative for the other side had been none other the newly-crowned King Leonardo.
All throughout the deliberations, there had been interference from Nohrian nobility, the King's advisors, and even some particularly determined (and difficult to catch) Nohrian citizens. Fed up with interruptions, Leo and Sakura had resolved to meet after supper to discuss trade pacts and other treaties away from any interruptions.
Even with just the two of them, however, it still took hours for them to figure out the finer points of each agreement. Leo had to manage the gargantuan task of securing enough food for his people, while also having to avoid weakening Nohr in the future by tethering it to an unsustainable deal. Sakura was obligated to offer sufficient support to Nohr, but she also had to exact adequate payment from them so that the daimyos would be willing to uphold Hoshido's end of the bargain.
It was fifteen minutes to midnight in the castle's small breakfast room, which lay adjacent to the castle kitchens and just off the banquet hall. In the past, the room was used as an everyday dining room for the four royal siblings. Now, Leo found himself eating there alone.
The Nohrian king, noticing Sakura's tiredness, said softly, "If you'd like, we could finish this in the morning, after you've gotten some rest."
Sakura shook her head, turning a faint pink. She didn't want to show weakness, despite how kind Leo had been to her throughout her stay. "I-it's fine. We can complete this today. Thank you for your concern, though."
Leo inclined his head slightly. "If you say so. Well then, in compensation, Nohr is willing to..." He flicked through the papers briskly. "Actually, I appear to have misplaced the document in question. A copy should be in my study. If you'll excuse me..." He motioned towards the door.
"G-go right ahead, King Leo."
He slid his chair back and stood, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "I will be right back. Try to stay awake, okay Lady Sakura?"
In the far end of the room, a clock struck twelve times. Midnight. The Hoshidan princess was absentmindedly reading and rereading her notes, trying to stay awake. As the booming sounds reached her ears, she realized suddenly that Leo had not yet returned.
"M-maybe he decided to ditch me. But I think that he's more a better person than that."
Leaving her notes and writing utensils behind, she left the room in search of him. Earlier in the week, Leo had personally taken her on a tour through Castle Krakenberg, so she knew how to get to his study. Still, she was nervous to be wandering through an unfamiliar castle in the middle of the night.
The door to the chamber in question was opened slightly, and candlelight bled out into the hallway from inside. Clearly, someone was there.
It would be rude to just walk in, she thought. After a brief moment of hesitation, she knocked twice and called, "U-um, King L-leo? Are you alright?"
Not only was there was no response to her query, but there was also almost no noise at all. Except for the sound of breathing. Curious, Sakura cautiously pulled back the door, and then stepped over the threshold.
Niles was on guard outside of his lord's chambers, faded into the shadows. It looked as though he was sleeping, but that was all a ruse. His hearing was as keen as a knife, after all, so he didn't need his eye open to keep watch. Steps echoing from down the hallway, however, caught his attention. A pink-haired woman, glancing nervously from side to side, was walking towards the King's rooms.
"What's this? A lady visiting milord in the dead of night? And it's the Hoshidan one, no less. What could she be up to..." Niles licked his lips. "Hmm..."
The woman knocked on the door, and said something into the room. All that the retainer caught was his liege's name. Then she slipped inside, leaving the door ajar.
"In his study as well? I was unaware that milord was into that sort of thing. Well, I'll leave them be." The one-eyed retainer turned around, and was about to creep away to guard another part of the castle with his razor-sharp ears when something clicked in his mind. "But she left the door open? Surely she knows about the muffling power of doors... What's going on here?"
With stealthy steps, he slinked slowly towards the study, and then, with a purposeful stride, entered the room.
"Now, what exactly are you—"
Leo was slumped at his desk, head down, and eyes closed. His breathing was soft and regular. Next to him lay a sheet of paper, which upon closer investigation appeared to document what Nohr was willing to trade in exchange for Hoshidan crops.
Sakura couldn't help but smile at the sight of Nohr's king, fast asleep. When passed out, Leo seemed so childlike and vulnerable, his face missing the furrowed brow that had become a default feature while awake.
Quietly, she shuffled towards the table, and whispered, "U-um, Leo? A-are you awake still?"
He mumbled something incomprehensible that sounded vaguely like a name, and began to shift around in his chair. His breathing became a touch louder. Past that, however, he didn't react.
Sakura hesitatingly reached out with her left hand to stroke his hair. The Nohrian royal's attempt to have a stone-cold and confident exterior reminded her of her brother, Takumi. Both of them appeared so peaceful while sleeping, and these similarities were triggering her own sisterly instincts.
As she noiselessly ran her fingers through his blond hair, she felt him relax slightly and grumble, "Stop that, Camilla... I'm fine..."
Movement at the door caused Sakura to turn around hastily.
"Now, what exactly are you—"
"Shh," the Hoshidan princess quickly chastised the man. She recognized him as one of Leo's retainers. "Your liege is sleeping. Could you go prepare his bed? I think that he's done with negotiations for today."
The feeling when you sit on a project for 3+ months, writing about two hundred words on a good day, and then mash out a thousand in two hours for something else when you're supposed to be doing your homework.
Also, why is the word count inconsistent with my Google Doc?