An update! Hooray! I hope you all are still enjoying, and as always I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to Mogekofanboy for donating to my kofi! If you'd like to leave a tip, search for lace_kyoko on !
Despite that he said he wanted to leave first thing in the morning, Queen Hinoka found King Xander personally and in a moment where he wasn't quite sure if she was emotionally stable enough, demanded that he rally his troops now as she wanted to leave for Hoshido immediately. He knew the trip would be long, given how many people he'd need to take with him, and he understood the duress Hinoka felt, but why one earth was she so adamant?
Her sister. Hinoka didn't have to say it, but Xander figure she wanted to leave then and there so she could convince Sakura sooner that she should stay in Hoshido, not marry herself off to a Nohrian prince. Xander knew Hinoka would describe them as something more animalistic. Dog perhaps. That was the common Hoshidan nomenclature for Nohrians. Regardless, it was clear that was Hinoka's intention, so Xander caved and went to rally troops. Otherwise, he might have had to fight the queen, and that wasn't something he was wont to do.
He knew he would need Leo's counsel, and had a servant seek out his brother. He was probably in his room, sulking about the whole situation. Xander felt for the young man. Leo had never known love quite like the one he shared with Sakura, and as much as Xander wanted the two to end up together, he knew it was Hinoka's domain. She needed to give her blessing after all. Otherwise, it could be seen as treason. Or something of the sort. The whole situation was dire.
As Xander was issuing orders in the barracks the servant sent to find Leo came back, sans Leo. Xander stared at him inquiringly.
"I see you haven't found my brother yet. Is something the matter?"
The servant looked worried. "I checked his chambers and found no one. I even looked in the library and he wasn't there either. I saw Felicia and asked if she knew where he was and she said the last time she noticed him, he was headed in the direction of his chambers, but that was a while ago. He seems to be missing."
Xander felt his stomach drop. Leo… Leo would not be so rash as to make an escape with the princess, would he? And wouldn't he have been noticed? He was very recognizable among the castle, and Sakura would be too.
"Thank you, erm…?"
"Cole, your majesty."
"Yes, thank you, Cole. My apologies. I will...wait for Leo to show up. I'm sure he's...formulating plans of some sort in a spot that we haven't thought of. Just see to preparations and the like."
Cole saluted and was on his way.
Xander had Laslow take over temporarily to deal with preparations and went to see for himself where Leo went. His first thought was seeking out Sakura. If she were missing, then it would be obvious the two eloped. It would also make sense if Niles and Odin also were conveniently MIA.
Xander went first to the chambers of the two retainers and found they were missing. He went ahead to Sakura's. He knocked. Nothing. He entered. The room looked a bit in disarray. A stray note was left hanging out of a trunk. Xander picked it up and recognized the scrawl of his younger brother. It briefly told the reader that he and the princess would run off to Izumo.
Izumo… It made sense. Leo obviously saw the advantage of that. It may have been a long trip, but Izumo could protect them for a time. No fighting could be had, so it would be a war of wits, knowledge of the law, and negotiation. Izumo would have to eventually relent the two errant royals, but asylum could be sought there.
Xander crumpled the note in frustration. Of course his brother would do this now, when a potential war would be had. How was he to explain to Hinoka that her sister and her suitor had eloped? She would absolutely not take that well. At all.
Xander sighed and decided he'd need the help of his retainers to track down his wayward brother and his lady love. He left Sakura's empty chambers and sought out Laslow back at the barracks. Peri wouldn't have been a bad choice, but Xander knew she could be violent. She wasn't one for delicate matters.
He did not look forward to telling either of his siblings this news either. Camilla would feel guilty, Elise heartbroken, and Corrin absolutely flabbergasted. This gave the Nohrian royalty a lousy impression.
Regardless of whom he told, this was, in a word, bad.
Hinoka was impatient. She was waiting with the troops, ready to head out. Laslow, Xander's second in command in terms of battle, had said the king was rallying up his siblings. But there was no way it was taking this long. Camilla had already shown up, looking smug. Corrin was there too, and although Hinoka could tell she wanted to converse, Hinoka emanated an energy that screamed DO NOT ENGAGE and thus Corrin did not. The only missing siblings were Leo, the Nohrian dog that wanted to bed Sakura (because that was all Hinoka could focus on), and Elise, the youngest. Hinoka tapped her foot impatiently, waiting with a borrowed pegasus from the Hoshidan side of the continent.
Xander appeared, looking grim.
"Elise has convinced me she would like to stay so she can oversee things. Despite her inexperience, I trust her to do a good job."
"Shouldn't that be Leo's job?" Camilla asked. "While he certainly has the brains to take on this conflict, we have Corrin." Camilla was nonchalant about it, inspecting her gauntlets for any dirt. She side-eyed Hinoka.
Xander swallowed. "Leo...has gone missing."
The siblings were dead quiet. Hinoka heard her heartbeat in her head.
"He's what?" she demanded.
"My younger brother, my advisor and tactician, is missing. We will move on without him." Xander said in response. But it was too easy of a response. Too simple.
"What of my sister? You know I want her with us."
The look on Xander's face said it all. He looked like he took a bite out of an umeboshi that had sat in the brine for too long.
"She is gone as well."
"Excuse me? You expect us all to leave for Hoshido when your brother has kidnapped my sister?"
"My brother has done nothing of the sort! You know your sister. It was clearly consensual if they eloped together at all. Your accusations are baseless." Xander defended.
"Baseless?! My sister admitted to my face that she and your dog of a brother were courting, and now they're missing, and you expect me to believe they aren't together? We need to find them now! This is treason against my throne!"
Xander glared. "If I recall, you currently have no throne. Or is this insurrection you claim to have escaped from all a ruse to wipe out the royal family of Nohr?"
"How dare you! How dare you say such lies!" Hinoka bellowed.
"Queen Hinoka, it pains me to say your sister is missing. I am pained because my brother is probably the cause. But the conflict in your kingdom is more dire. We must see to it immediately. We will find the wayward lovers after. I assure you, if Leo and Sakura have eloped, my brother will keep her safe. He seems to have taken his retainers, and wherever they may have gone, they will be fine." Xander explained, although he wasn't going to admit that the foursome had left for Izumo. Hinoka would only become more distracted from the task at hand, and he didn't want that.
A part of him also wanted Leo to win this war of love. He had messed up his brother's chances once. Leo took destiny into his own hands. Xander wanted him to succeed this time. Even if it incensed the current queen, he loved his brother more. And Sakura had won a place in his heart too. She softened Leo, and he strengthened her. They complemented each other well.
Treason against Hoshido? He would allow his brother to commit it if it meant he'd be happy.
Hinoka was silent a moment. She considered her options, but ultimately, she knew the king was right.
"Fine. We go to Hoshido. If I find my sister, I'm taking her back. I'll forget this incident, because you are helping, even though it's your duty due to our peace treaty. But should something happen to Sakura, there will be hell to pay." Hinoka warned.
"I don't take to threats kindly, Queen Hinoka. I assure you, though, our siblings will be fine. And should they return to the castle here, Elise will send correspondence at once. I trust her to do just that."
Hinoka shrugged. "Fine. Let's be off." She mounted her pegasus.
Xander sighed, and it was the first time his siblings had seen him show any sort of tiring. He looked...exhausted. Camilla wanted to approach and ask if he was alright, but Xander waved her off.
"Not now, Camilla," he said under his breath. "We will discuss everything later. For now, we must be off."
So Xander mounted his horse and issued the order to march on. All the soldiers obeyed without question, and Hinoka merely followed out of duty, not out of any deference to the king. Camilla and Corrin shared a look, both worried for Leo and Sakura, and even Elise. Elise was so young, but she knew enough about strategy to hold down the fort, so to speak. Camilla mounted Marzia and flew off. Corrin looked to the sky after her big sister, her thoughts wandering.
If only Azura were here. She would know what to say.
The Astral Plane Leo and company found themselves in was a rather peaceful place. Rich green fields spread far and wide, flat, perfect for erecting buildings. He had no Astral Dragon to assist him, but with a bit of his own magic and the power of Brynhildr, Leo was able to make a hamlet of sorts.
What was once plain was now heavily forested, trees surrounding on all sides, and inside was a beautiful garden. Leo made some of the trees into the living quarters of his retainers and for himself and Sakura. Each person had their own tree, and it seemed each tree seemed to take on the personality of its inhabitant.
There was plenty of food. The forest itself had many wild animals Niles could slay with his bow, and Odin and Leo could easily make a fire to cook the meat using magic. The garden had various plants, from ripe fruit to fresh vegetables. There was even a wheat field, and Sakura had mentioned that during her time in Nestra, she learned how to make bread. There was a creek with flowing water, so fresh water to drink and bathe with was plentiful.
Leo realized that the magic he used in the Astral Plane was so potent. It was so easy to make a life here, yet in Nohr, bad soil, turbulent weather, and the lack of sunlight made everything so...difficult. It wasn't fair to his homeland at all. But there was nothing he could do about that in this moment. He was in hiding with a lost princess thought dead, his two retainers, and a dimension he could literally shape like a god. It was...humbling.
They were only there for a few hours but it had already felt like home. Leo hadn't felt so at peace in such a long time. The air was somehow clearer and he could tell it was doing Sakura some good. She seemed to positively glow.
Leo knew that somehow he and Sakura would marry, though he wasn't sure on how to make it happen. They got the running away together part of eloping down, but now it was for the actual marriage. Was he even ready for such a thing? He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Nothing had felt more natural than to be by her side, other than using magic, but he knew it would be incredibly difficult. What if he could never return home? Politically speaking, the marriage would be useless if neither Nohrian nor Hoshidan royals agreed, but to the two it would mean everything. Leo knew that. He knew that Sakura knew that. His retainers could see it too. He hoped that one day everyone else would also see that.
But the question of how to make the marriage happen remained. Here in the Astral Plane, laws didn't exist. For all Leo cared, he and Sakura could just marry themselves. There were no ordinances here, Nohrian or Hoshidan, so Leo really could just make his own. He and Sakura could be the rulers of this land, a land of no rulers nor people. A place inhabited by none other than himself, his love, and his two retainers.
Or so he thought. As Leo went about overlooking the space he created, a mysterious intruder approached.
But she wasn't a mystery as she walked closer. Her garments were different, and the feather on her head was an interesting touch, but Leo recognized his lost 'sister' Azura. She had disappeared, so to see her was both befuddling and a relief. It was good to know she was alive.
"Leo…?" she asked. "I thought it was you. Why are you here in the Astral Plane?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. "We all thought you were dead. Your disappearance was so sudden."
"Ah… I can't really go into detail on what happened, but I am very much alive. I...had things to take care of," she vaguely admitted.
"Well, despite your evasiveness on the subject, I trust you. It's good to see you."
She nodded. "But that doesn't answer my question. What brings you to the Astral Plane?" She looked curious and genuinely concerned. Leo decided he could tell her the truth.
"Well… A lot has happened since the war ended. But namely, in my own personal life, I… met someone." He felt a blush creep up his neck and into his cheeks.
"Oh? I take it you mean...a woman?"
"Yes. And, well, she's Hoshidan."
Azura's eyes widened. "That's...surprising. But I'm glad. Perhaps we could sit down and discuss this in detail. Is she here? Is she the reason you are here?"
"Yes, and yes. We can go to my quarters and discuss this in detail later. Would you like to meet her? You, ah, know her." He realized that perhaps having Azura meet Sakura would be quite the shock. A Nohrian prince to fall in love with a Hoshidan princess? Perhaps Azura would take to the idea better than the others.
Azura looked confused. "Just because I lived in Hoshido doesn't mean..."
"Her name is Sakura, as in, the Princess Sakura of Hoshido." Leo interrupted. "She was thought dead for two years and well, as I said, a lot has happened. Actually, let's all go to the garden and have dinner together. I'm sure Sakura would love to see you. There is plenty of food. I think Odin wanted to make a roast out of a wild boar Niles has slain. And Sakura herself is working on some bread in her quarters."
Azura smiled. "Yes, that would be lovely. I used to tell Sakura scary stories when we were young. It'll be good to see her."
So Leo directed Azura to the garden to wait and then went to fetch Sakura and his retainers. Together, they would enlighten Azura on the subject of their elopement and perhaps her perspective could be useful to their predicament. He didn't want to say he had all the time in the world, but being safe in the Astral Plane meant there wouldn't be interruptions and he could formulate a plan on how to have a wedding. Despite the drama, Leo was excited. He was also determined to see this through. Because regardless of what Sakura's sister said, or how his family felt, Leo loved Sakura, and she loved him, and no matter what, nothing in this realm or the other would ever tear them apart.
I know it's kinda weird that Azura showed up, but it's only implied she died in Conquest, and this is a canon divergent story. I hope you all understand ^^; Feel free to review, follow, etc if you haven't already, and check out my twitter at heyitslaceyk. I post art and talk about fanfics.