Heine sighed. "Not yet. You need to go back to-"
"HEINE!" Leo screamed and all of them turned to see Leo running towards them.
"Leo!" Bruno exclaimed, smiling brightly.
"You fucking little bitch!" Came a shout none of them recognised. Heine was the one to run toward Leo, taking his gun out.
Leo threw his arms around Heine, crying and dropping to his knees before him. Heine aimed the gun at the man.
"Stand down." Heine ordered.
"You think you're safe? You little whore! We'll get you!" Klaus yelled, reaching up to throw the knife. Heine pulled the trigger. The man dropped to the ground, blood pouring out from the bullet wound on his thigh. "AGH! Shit…"
"Maximilian, arrest him!" Bruno yelled. Maximilian grabbed the man, tying him up.
"Look at me you little shit. You think this is over? This is far from MMH!"
Leo cried against Heine's stomach, holding onto him for dear life.
Maximilian had gagged Klaus and moved him to the back of the carriage, tying him to the back chair.
Heine placed his hand on Leonhard's hair.
"Shh… Prince Leonhard… you're safe." Heine said softly.
"Leo!" Licht cried out, throwing himself on Leo, pulling him into his arms as Licht cried against Leo's chest.
Leo's eyes widened, his body entering into a panic. He wasn't here. This wasn't happening. Kurt had him again.
"NO! NO! GET OFF ME! GET OFF!" Leo screamed like a wounded animal, thrashing so hard under Licht that Licht got thrown off in his shock.
"I'm so sorry Leo! I didn't see you were bleeding!" Licht cried out and Leo stayed where he was, hyperventilating.
"Show me Leo." Heine said and Leo shook his head, getting to his feet, shaking all over.
"No… I want to go home! I want to go home! TAKE ME HOME!" Leo shrieked.
"Alright… Leo… Alright, let's go home." Bruno said softly, reaching to hold Leo's shoulders but Leo flinched away from him and limped towards the carriage.
"Leo, let me help." Kai offered his hand and Leo flinched again, slapping his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Leo gasped, forcing himself up into the carriage and sitting inside, as close to the corner as he could, holding himself and closing his eyes.
Licht, Bruno, Kai and Heine all looked at each other, the siblings at complete loss on what to do. Maximilian refrained from saying anything.
"We must return to the palace everyone." Heine said.
The ride back was quiet, but once Leo fell asleep, his body relaxed, turning his head to lean it against Bruno's shoulders. Bruno looked at him and reached over to move the hair that was covering his face but Heine stopped him.
"…There must be a reason why he doesn't want to be touched, prince Bruno. If he wakes up and gets startled, it won't do him any good." Heine said and Bruno frowned, looking away and nodding.
"Wh-what… did they do to him?" Licht whispered, looking at Leo's tired expression, his thin frame, the bite mark on his shoulder, peaking through the baggy gown he was wearing. The cut on his chest must have been shallow because he'd long stopped bleeding but the bruises everywhere else were ever present, glaring at them as they rode back home.
"We can interrogate that man when we return home." Kai said. Bruno glared at the ground and nodded.
oOoOoOo
Eins watched the carriage drive back towards the palace, staying back, staring at it. He'd seen Leo's reaction. He'd arrived shortly after Leo ran out. He'd watched the moment that tutor shot the man on the leg with skilled precision. He had not been going for the kill.
He also heard what that man had called Leo. More importantly, he'd seen Leo's reaction in the past, in a friend of Ernst who'd been hurt and Eins happened to be with Ernst when she came to him for help.
Eins resisted every urge inside him that told him to grab the gun and shoot that man straight in the head.
He'd never been close to any of his brothers. They were much younger than him and he'd been pulled away with princely training and duties by the time they were old enough to talk to.
That being said, there wasn't a single one he wouldn't kill for. They were his brothers, before anything else. His family before competition. The crown be damned if it meant his brothers were hurt because of it.
An unpleasant feeling settled in his chest. He looked away from the disappearing carriage and tried to calm himself. It was done. Leonhard was safe. There would be no need for their father to make the decision between saving Leonhard and war.
As Eins looked back to the now empty street, he saw a shadow coming out of the alleyway, a cloak over his face as he knelt by the spot where the man had been bleeding when shot. He picked up the knife the man had been carrying and ran back into the shadows.
Eins frowned and hurried his horse along, looking into the alleyway, but it was empty. Eins glared. He faced the road once more, and set to follow his family.
oOoOoOo
Viktor was finishing buttoning up his clothes when a frantic knock at the door alerted him. It was Ludwig, the palace guard.
"Your majesty! The princes and the royal tutor have returned. They found prince Leonhard."
Viktor hadn't run in the halls of the palace since he was a child, and yet, here he was, practically flying down the stairs and entering the courtyard out of breath as he saw his children step out of the carriage.
Eins came close behind, stepping down from his horse and turning his attention straight to the man that Maximilian was dragging down from the luggage part of the carriage.
Viktor only had eyes for Leo, who Heine had to offer his hand to. Leo limped down, holding himself as the chilled morning air clung to his bruised skin. Blood covered the front of whatever horrid gown he was wearing and Viktor's composure broke as he rushed to him, taking him into his arms and sobbing against his son's shoulder.
"Father! Don't!" He heard the others say but he didn't understand.
"Oh Leo. My boy. My boy. You're safe." Viktor whispered. Leo was stiff, but that was nothing new whenever he tried to embrace his children. Except that considering the situation he'd expected a different response.
Then everything changed and Leo fought with everything his weak body could muster, shrieking at the top of his voice.
"NO! NO! Let me go! DON'T! PLEASE!" Leo cried and Viktor let him go as if he'd been burnt, staring at Leo, who instantly held himself, eyes wide with panic and breathing as if he'd been the one to run through the entire palace to get here.
"Leo… it's alright, you're safe… you're home." Viktor said softly, kneeling before him, holding onto Leo's arms, Leo still breathing erratically but not thrashing like before.
A sinister laugh made them turn to the man they'd apprehended and Viktor stared at him. "Little Leo was such a good boy, especially for Kurt."
Eins growled grabbing his shoulder, shaking him hard. "Shut up!" He hissed. The gag had slipped down, letting the man speak his vile words.
"Kurt fucked him so well, he was a mewling little whore every time Kurt had him."
Everyone except Eins and Heine froze, turning to look at Leo with an overwhelming hurt shining in their eyes. Viktor looked at his son, the places where the bruises were, some more indicative of what that man was saying happened than others.
"You really preferred Kurt, didn't you? White Lily of Granzreich… what would everyone say if they knew how filthy you really are?" Viktor saw red and didn't know in what time he made it to the man, punching him hard enough to knock him on the floor, out of Eins' grip, raising his foot to stomp on the man's bandaged gun wound.
"AAAGHHH!" Klaus threw his head back, screaming in pain.
"Viktor!" Heine's voice was the only that pierced through everyone else calling out to him. Heine came and placed his hand on his arm, pulling him away from that man.
"Take him to the prison! He'll be tried for treason against the crown." Eins said to Maximilian and Ludwig, who dragged the man away with other guards.
Viktor had his hands into fists and finally turned around to look at Leo, who was looking at the palace as if he were walking in a dream.
"Leo." Viktor called to him and Leo began to frown, turning to look at him.
"Father?" Leo asked confused.
"Leo… are you alright?" Bruno asked stepping closer, but hesitating when he went to hold his shoulder.
Leo stared at Bruno and then at everyone, his eyes focusing more as he looked from one person to the other.
"I'm back?" Leo asked. "Is this real?" He stepped back from them.
"You're home, Leo." Licht said softly. Leo covered his mouth with his hands as the tears came.
"Leo…" Viktor whispered, coming to him, reaching to hold him but flinching, afraid to scare him. Leo instead threw his arms around his father, crying loudly against his chest.
"I was so scared!" Leo wept and Viktor let the tears roll down his face as he held Leo close.
"I'm sorry, Leo. I'm so sorry." Viktor kept saying.
Bruno, Kai and Licht, sobbed where they stood, wanting to hug Leo, but afraid to do so. Heine came and placed a comforting hand on Licht's shoulder, who was closest to him.
When Leo finally calmed down, he stepped back, holding himself once more.
"Father… everything hurts." Leo said softly, unable to look at anyone in the eye.
"Let's get you to your room, I'll have the maids help you and the doctor come immediately." Viktor said.
Leo didn't argue. He simply let Viktor lead him the rest of the way inside, his brothers following closely.
"Father… don't you need to go to work?" Leo asked softly, looking up at him in concern.
"You're more important." Viktor said.
"They said you didn't want to pay my ransom." Leo said softly.
Viktor froze. "Leo… I… I couldn't do what they asked me." Viktor said.
Leo nodded his head slowly. "Of course… A king serves his people before anyone else." Leo said, looking at him not even with hate, but a cold empty expression that sent a chill down Viktor's spine. "I apologise for the trouble I've caused, your majesty." Leo said and entered his room.
"Leo, please." Viktor said trying to go after him.
"You should go to work, father." Leo said coldly. Viktor looked at his other children at a loss.
"We'll talk to him, father." Bruno said and entered Leo's room followed by Kai and Licht.
Viktor stepped back and looked away, spotting Heine standing there. "Heine… What have I done?" Viktor whispered.
"Viktor… Leo is feverish, he's gone through something terrible. He needs time to rest." Heine said.
Viktor nodded slowly. "Tell me what the doctor says." He said. Heine bowed respectfully and Viktor took a deep breath, coming over to hug Heine tightly, shocking the royal tutor. "Thank you for finding him, Heine." He whispered.
There was no one else in the corridor and Heine sighed, hugging Viktor back. "It's not your fault, Viktor." He whispered. Viktor hugged him tighter before letting go.
Heine watched him before turning to face the door to Leo's room.
oOoOoOo
Leo looked at the bath the maids had prepared for him. The lovely woman looked at him with so much pity that Leo felt sick.
"Shall I help you, your highness?" She asked.
"No… thank you…" Leo said, holding himself as she curtsied and left.
"Leo, maybe one of us can help." Licht said.
Leo looked at them and nodded. "Ok…" He said softly. Leo kept his eyes on the floor as he had to accept his brothers' help. He tried to think of how he managed to undress when Kurt ordered him to. He could barely move right now, every inch of his body hurt so much. From his raw feet from running, to his raw knees from cleaning the floors and being thrown around repeatedly or Kurt hurting him while he faced the floor.
His brothers were not like that. Licht and Kai helped him remove the gown while Bruno made sure the water was warm enough. Leo used Kai's arms for support as he stepped into the water, whimpering in pain as every muscle complained.
"I'm alright… it just hurts." Leo said when his brothers froze and allowed Kai and Bruno to help him sit down.
"We'll be right here Leo, call us if you need anything." Bruno and Kai said, going to sit behind the screen, where his study table was.
"I'll do your hair, Leo." Licht offered. Leo nodded, closing his eyes as Licht used the expensive palace products to wash his hair, his fingers gently massaging his scalp, which still felt the memory of those men pulling at it.
"Thank you… I can't remember if that man washed it or not." Leo mumbled.
"That… man?" Licht asked softly.
"He made me take a bath with him. He hurt me like he always did… but that time… I can't remember what happened. I just woke up and it was over." Leo mumbled, staring blankly at the water.
Licht froze, processing what he was hearing and reached in to scoop some water with a container, washing the shampoo away with shaky hands, trying to blink the tears away. "Leo… I…"
"I'm glad they didn't take any of you." Leo whispered. Before Licht could answer, Leo took a deep breath. "Please go."
Licht moved back and made his way to where his other brothers were, struggling to keep the tears at bay just as he was. They'd all heard what Leo had said and not one of them had any idea what to do about it.
For a number of minutes no one spoke. Leo finished cleaning himself as best as he could without aggravating his bruises or wounds and got out, wrapping himself in the soft sheets of the palace, closing his eyes for a second, just taking comfort from the warm sheets.
Smears of blood began to stain the sheets and Leo looked down at the cut on his chest that had begun to ooze.
"When's the doctor coming?" Leo asked as he moved to grab the biggest gown he owned, slipping it on with great difficulty, but unable to find it in him to ask his brothers for help again.
Just then, the door opened. "He's here, Leo." Bruno said and Leo sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at the doctor as he came round, his brothers close by.
"Leo, do you want us to go?" Bruno asked.
"N-no!" Leo said in a panicked tone. Even if it was just the doctor, the thought of being alone with a man right now terrified him.
"Alright, we'll stay." Bruno said, sitting on the side of the bed, taking Leo's uncut hand and holding it for comfort.
"Tell me where it hurts your highness." The doctor said, acting professionally.
"Everywhere." Leo whispered but still he showed the doctor the cut on his hand that still looked infected. "They said if this gets worse they'd have to cut my hand off." Leo said.
The doctor looked at his hand and smiled. "There's still a long way to go before that, your highness." He proceeded to take some alcohol out and Leo flinched. "Now, this is going to hurt and sting, but it's needed to clean the wound." He said.
"Alright…" Leo whispered and Bruno felt Leo grip his hand tighter, trembling in fear.
The doctor was not lying. Leo tried to hold it but he ended up crying out in pain with each pass the doctor used to clean the cut. It wasn't until the stitches went in that Leo's body finally gave out, passing out on the bed, pale and still but breathing.
Once the doctor was done, the brothers looked up to see what came next.
"I will need some help to remove the gown and see what other damage has been done." The doctor said. "Is there a maid I can call?"
"No, we'll help." Licht said, stepping over, ready to follow the doctor's requests.
oOoOoOo
Heine waited outside the rooms until the doctor came out and told him what needed to be communicated to the king upon his return from the capital. Heine took a deep breath as he heard the details and nodded.
"Thank you, doctor." He said. Heine gathered what strength he could gather and made his way into the room.