Leo could only hypothesize why the archduke would want him dead. Was it even specifically him, or was he after any Nohrian royal? It seemed strange that he did invite them all to the opera house that fateful night, and then for Leo to continuously return…
Did he plan for Leo to become enamored with the koto player?
It couldn't be possible, because Leo wasn't that predictable, and he felt Kazahana would have said as much. But still… She seemed hesitant to say anything really. He could always ask, but he was already heading to the archduke's residence anyway. If this was orchestrated by the archduke, then going in was suicide, but Leo was confident in his abilities to withstand any sort of attack. He was riding through the city on his mount, dignified and regal, and a few citizens couldn't help but bow. It almost went to Leo's head, but he kept it clear. He was on a mission.
When he arrived there was no one at the palace. It struck Leo as worrisome, almost as if he was expected. Or that all the would-be guards had been killed during the siege. Leo wasn't too sure.
He remembered where the archduke's office would be and dismounted, heading into the palace, Brynhildr ever at his side. Leo would be cautious.
However, it seemed the archduke expected his arrival, as he descended the main stairs, greeting Leo.
"Ah, Prince Leo, how good of you to come. It seems I am fated to execute you myself."
So he was after Leo.
"I hate to ruin your plans, but I must ask, why?" Leo summoned a spell, magic pooling in his hands.
"You really don't know? Decades of Nohr still conquering nations, and you still don't know?" The archduke was a magic user as well, so Leo wasn't too nervous if there would be battle between them. His resistance and skill would never allow for much damage and he was faster too.
"I do not know, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Leo took a defensive stance as the archduke approached him.
"Ah, my dear Prince Leo, then I must remind you so clearly of the night you killed my lover."
Lover?!
Before Leo could garner a response, the archduke released his spell, a devastating fire spell Leo was unaccustomed too. It was magic that must have been so archaic and old that even Leo hadn't access to it. However, he managed to avoid the spell, and released his own. The archduke countered, setting the plant-based spell on fire.
So Leo was a bit arrogant in rushing over here. He was clearly at a disadvantage.
No matter. His naginata, one that he received from a Hoshidan during the war, was still strapped to his steed, but Leo, if need be, could quickly escape to retrieve it should Brynhildr fail him. But, being a sacred weapon that was highly doubtful.
Leo summoned a new spell and managed to ensnare the archduke before he could cast another one of those devastating fire spells, knocking his tome out of his hand. Leo retrieved it, looking through its contents.
The script was old and Leo felt the magic pulsing through the book. He could make out a few characters, but only further study of runes and hieroglyphs would help him divulge any information out of this.
"Release that tome!" The archduke sputtered, but with a flick of his wrist Leo made the vines tighten around the archduke's limbs.
"I'm sorry, but it seems I've found a new toy to play with," Leo snickered. He released a spell onto a nearby tapestry and sent it aflame. Leo was impressed. This was better than any of the other fire tomes in Castle Krakenburg.
He summoned a small flame into his palm and was amazed at the heat it produced. He walked up casually to the archduke, still ensnared, and held the flame close to his face. The man tried to blow the flame out, but his meager breaths only stirred the flame more. Leo laughed.
"It seems I've won," Leo claimed. "Now do tell me what on earth I've done to deserve such an offense as assassination. Some lover of yours died I presumed?"
"You killed her," the archduke sputtered. Leo tightened the vines, bringing the flame ever closer, and the man gasped in pain. "You and your Nohrian siblings are monsters, but you're the worst of them."
Leo was confused. Genuinely confused. When had he…?
He then remembered the massacre that was supposed to happen in Nestra two years ago, the one that only was instigated when that one songstress in the dark blue garb had sang that song that caused the former King Garon much discomfort. Of course, Leo now knew that the songstress was Azura, as her song became all too familiar to him once he joined Corrin's army.
But her actions caused much duress for the other singers. Garon had hunted them down, or at least had his lackeys and son do his bidding. Leo wasn't sure much of what Iago and Hans had done, as he himself gathered as many songstresses as he could, and instead of sending them to their deaths, had teleported them using the very same spell he used on Kaze and Rinkah weeks prior.
The he remembered how Corrin thought he had killed Kaze and Rinkah, and how he had to tell her that it wasn't the case, that they were merely…displaced. He wasn't a monster after all and had to keep his soul intact somehow.
Then he wondered if somehow some person had witnessed his teleportation and mistook it as execution, and there Leo lost his composure for a moment. It would explain everything.
"You really think I killed your lover?" Leo asked, incredulous, withdrawing the flame. "You don't know me at all, then, Archduke."
"My subordinate witnessed it! My very own right hand man witnessed it and then was put to the axe by that monster."
"Hans? Oh he's long gone. We, and by that I mean my siblings and I, executed him ourselves. More specifically, Camilla." Leo chuckled at the memory. That was one of very few deaths he found enjoyable.
"You killed your own subordinate?" The archduke asked, completely in revulsion. "You Nohrians are disgusting."
"Be careful what you say, lest one of my vines slips and wraps itself around your throat," Leo threatened, though he had no intention of killing this man. At least, not yet. "Let me continue my story."
The archduke only nodded in response.
"You see, during that so-called massacre, I was indeed ordered to kill the songstresses and performers there. However, contrary to the belief held of me that I am cold and heartless, I did not actually carry out those orders. I merely teleported those women and men to another location. Where they went after that, I have no idea. But I did not kill anyone. I can't say the same for Hans or Iago."
"Then why didn't she return to me? Where is my Layla?"
"If I could answer that, I would. I'd return her to you myself, but alas, this Layla of yours is gone."
The archduke had started sobbing. Now defenseless, Leo, in an uncharacteristic gesture of pity, let the man go. The vines slithered off his form and he collapsed to the floor.
"Why…Why didn't she return to me?" he repeated.
Leo shrugged. "Was she truly a lover, or just a concubine?" The practice wasn't unheard of in Nestra.
The archduke froze at that statement, stifling his sobbing.
"No… She said she loved me…"
"Well, I can't say anything on her behalf." Leo sighed. "Though, now that we have cleared this up, how did you come to the conclusion I would come to Nestra on my own accord? Did you really mean to enchant me with that koto player?"
"Kazahana enchants all who see her. I knew that if anyone could seduce the cold prince of Nohr, it would be her. She is warmth and light itself, enough to brighten your dark heart." The archduke laughed madly. "And I was right! Oh how it feels so good to be right!" He continued his laughter, and Leo, steeling himself, pretended that none of this bothered him.
"If that is all, then my business here is done, and I must head off. Your little indiscretion will not go unreported though. Expect a summons from the king very soon," Leo said coldly. "I bid you good day."
Leo left the broken man there, pocketing the tome he had taken as spoils.
As he left, he heard the archduke mutter. "Oh, my dear prince, deny it all you want, but you are indeed cold." Leo stopped for a moment but shrugged the statement off. It was just another thorn in his side.
He needed to see a certain koto player after all, as her involvement was deeper than she claimed.
Leo first flew to the opera house, but that led nowhere, as she had already left it seemed. One of the soldiers helping with clean-up said he saw the girl leave through the back. She must have returned to her home, Leo surmised.
Leo left the opera house and went down the winding trail Kazahana had shown him the night before and he found her just leaving her home, koto in tow. He cleared his throat and she jumped, turning around to see him so foreboding, sitting on his pegasus. She didn't look happy to see him.
"I take it you know why I'm here?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I-I thought you were qu-questioning the people," she stuttered. "Why…Why are you here?"
"Well, upon some serious thought, it had occurred to me that the archduke had somehow been involved in all these shenanigans and I confronted him." She stiffened at his statement. "It seems, my dear Kazahana, that you were meant to seduce me so that I may be killed."
"I…I…" She couldn't even finish her thought. "I didn't…!"
"Oh, but you did, Kazahana. While I am still unseduced, you did manage to lure me back here. Perhaps it may not have been your intention, but surely you were meant to get something out of this."
"No! No, I wouldn't do something like that! Who…who would make me do such a thing?"
"Perhaps he held your life in his hands, or maybe he offered to get you out of that hovel. I don't know. I am neither you nor him." Leo pulled out Brynhildr. ""You do know that the punishment for treason is death?" He knew that Xander had repealed that law. It was imprisonment at worse. But Kazahana didn't need to know that.
She started bawling her eyes out. "Please, no…!" Her begs and pleas were muffled by her cries as she wailed. Leo wondered if this was just a display, but he had spent just enough time with the girl to know that she wouldn't do such a thing.
Perhaps the archduke lied to escape with his own life. It wouldn't be unheard of. Leo should have never mentioned Kazahana at all.
"Prince Leo," she finally sniffled once her crying had calmed. "It is true that…that the archduke offered a sum of money to me to tempt me in seducing you, but I refused and went about my performance as usual. I had no intention of doing anything to you."
Ah. That would make sense.
"So your performance was just a performance? No magic involved that would make me in particular fall for your playing?" He couldn't believe this. He couldn't have fallen for her of his own accord. Though, falling for her was a bit of an overstatement.
"No. Besides, I haven't the power to do that. I am a musician, not a songstress." True. Songstresses had a power in their singing that could strengthen the weakest soldier and weaken the strongest ruler. Leo had seen it done on either end.
"I see…" He looked away, embarrassed. "My apologies then. It was wrong of me to accuse you of such a thing. And, if it pleases you, I must thank you as well, for helping me after all."
She nodded, an indication of her acceptance of his apology and gratitude. "If…if that is all, I must go. I need to catch the ferry out of Nestra to Izumo." She started carting off her koto, but Leo held her a moment more.
"Why must you go? I thought your home was here?"
"Well… The opera house is in ruins now. It…it'll be a while before it is repaired, and after all this…" She was referring to the siege. "I want nothing to do with this nation anymore. Perhaps Izumo will treat me better. I've heard Archduke Izana likes to hold banquets. Perhaps he'll take to my koto playing."
"But… Isn't Nestra where you were born? This is indeed your home." He saw her stiffen again. "Kazahana, what is it you're hiding?"
"I…hide nothing. I've been…wanting to travel for a while, and now is as good a time as any." She nodded to herself. "I really must be going."
She turned, but he stopped her, making his steed trot in front of her. "What if I were to offer you a place at Castle Krakenburg?"
"Where… Why?" She caught herself. "Why would you offer me your home?"
"Your playing is sublime and we at Castle Krakenburg could use your light. The musicians we had are gone and it is something so far behind on the list of things to fix that it hasn't even been addressed yet. Xander, that is my brother the king, has been too busy repairing ties with nations surrounding us than to care for things like music and art. But, I am here and you need to leave. It seems a perfect opportunity to fix a minor problem." He smiled at her. "I'm sure Xander, Camilla, and Elise would love having you."
She blushed. "If that is your command, my prince, then I shall come with you…" She didn't sound convincing enough, but Leo let it go. She must still be shaken after all that had happened.
"Wonderful. Follow me and we will leave for Nohr at once."
So Leo left the hovel with Kazahana in tow, off to find her a horse or pegasus to carry her and her koto, and the two walked on in silence as Leo wondered how he could convince himself that he wasn't taken with her.