Heine sat staring at the clock. 10 am was usually when Leo would come for lessons. He hadn't given him a lesson since he had been taken. Yet, the Leo he saw this morning was different and he wondered if he would come.

Ten o-clock arrived and the door opened. Leo walked in, dressed in clean clothes, not a drop of blood in sight. He walked closer and took a seat before him. Heine saw in his eyes the same he saw this morning. Shock. Eyes slightly wide like a cornered animal, fear deep down, but the ember of fight-or-flight response burning constantly.

"Good morning once more, Prince Leonhard." Heine said formally. "Would you like to talk about what happened this morning?" He offered.

Leo stared at the royal tutor's notes folder for a long time before looking up at him. "I'd rather talk about when I was taken." He said. There was no vulnerability in his voice. Only a sense of anger that didn't reach his eyes. They were still too filled with the look from before to display any other emotion.

"It's a hard thing to talk about." Heine started but was left with his next sentence in his mouth.

"No. Not at all." Leo cut in and sat up straight. "I learned how utterly incompetent I am. The thought that I'm in line to be king is laughable." He laughed bitterly. "I've been a complete idiot until now." He said coldly.

"Prince Leonhard, that is not true, you have shown great improvement from where you started."

"I'm a moron. The only thing I could depend on, my agility, failed me at my most crucial time. I realized I wouldn't even be able to find my way back even if I escaped." Leo laughed and stared at his scarred hand. The scar was still bright red as it was still healing, but the doctor had said it would become lighter with time.

Heine thought of what words he could use for the child right now. What words could possibly provide any semblance of comfort to someone so lost?

"Your highness…"

"I'm done playing around. I never want to feel so pathetic again. I want to learn to never be left defenseless out in the world." He said and looked up at him. "I have a lot to catch up on, but this time I'm serious." Leo said and Heine knew, that the carefree child that would whine and sleep in, or run away at times, or get bored, was either buried deep within the trauma, or dead.

Heine had before him a pupil ready and eager to learn someone that needed knowledge, and yet he would give anything to change things to how they were before.

"Very well, your highness, lets work on your new schedule together."

Leo nodded his head and looked down at the materials that Heine listed. Heine thought to start slow to not overwhelm him, but Leonhard did not wish to stop.

Arithmacy, Science, philosophy, history, geography, strategy, weapons. The perfect curriculum for a king. Heine didn't think Leo was ready for something like this, but perhaps keeping Leo busy would give him time to process things and open up when he felt ready.

It was Leo himself who added the list of subjects as before their main focus was working on Leo's arithmetic skills and reading. Heine would have also added the arts, but Leo turned that down in favor of physical training in the evenings.

Leo was planning to vigorously prepare himself for something like this happening again. Heine hoped that in time Leo would realize that he was safe and would not need to overwork himself to the point he was planning to.

Once they'd agreed they finished the lesson with arithmacy and Leonhard left with homework gripped in his hand.

Heine watched him go. His stance was tense but only because Heine knew him well enough to pick up on little nuances. "Prince Leonhard…" Leo paused and turned to look at him. "You realize the king will have to reprimand you for killing that man one way or another."

Heine realized he shouldn't have said that when the wide-eyed prince's eyes filled with a crazed anger. "Is that so? Will he lock me in a dingy cell as punishment? Or spend ten years ignoring the fact that his stupid fourth son couldn't even add one plus one before you came? I don't care what punishment I face. I don't care what father thinks. I don't care what any of you think!" Leo yelled and stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

Heine clenched his jaw tight and let his face drop into his hands. "Leo… how can I help you child?" He whispered to himself. Growing up in the streets he'd known plenty of children who'd suffered several forms of abuse. Very few of them made it to adulthood sane. Those that did were either aggressive enough to never hold down a job long enough to sustain themselves, or addicted to some substance or other that would end up killing them sooner or later.

oOoOoOo

Leo couldn't understand the rage that exploded when Heine mentioned any sort of punishment for what he had done. It triggered an explosion of fear, panic and raw anger that had him snap viciously at his teacher.

Then, in one swoop, his legs gave way and he staggered to sit against the wall, breathing deeply to try and catch his breath. This was his father's fault, and his brothers. Maybe if any of them had known how stupid he was before he would have had some kind of chance when he was torn from the palace.

Maybe he would have run in the correct direction in the forest. A direction that would have meant going to the nearest settlement rather than into Kurt's arms. He would have known how to unstrap that horse from the carriage, so he would have never been caught. He would have known that he had been sent in the wrong direction by the guards that mocked him when he had finally reached safety.

"Leo?" Leo didn't look up at his brother.

"What do you want Bruno?" Leo asked when he finally managed to calm his breathing down.

"Leo, I want to be there for you. You don't have to carry this in your chest alone. It will drive you mad." Bruno said reaching to him but froze as Leo flinched.

"So what?" Leo challenged. Bruno looked hurt and seeing him in this state and tried to think what philosopher could help him in this moment in time.

"Leo… I can't imagine what you're going through right now but… you have to…"

Leo stood up and straightened his clothes. "Excuse me, I have some homework to do." He said and started to walk away.

"Anything I can help you with?" Bruno asked.

"Not if you're going to be talking about something you know nothing about." Leo called back and didn't turn back to see the shocked and then hurt expression on Bruno's face.

Leo took a seat in the library and worked on his homework, struggling but working through them like his life depended on it.

When he was done he grabbed another book covering the war against Verstace. That man was still out there. He needed to find out what was so important about that country that the noble on the border wanted it destroyed.

oOoOoOo

The days passed in a blur for Leo. He spent them between the library, Heine's classroom and his own room. He didn't go to join the family at mealtimes.

Anytime anyone tried to talk to him about his captivity or his behavior a surge of defensiveness flowered and he would either yell, insult, storm off or all of the above.

Yesterday Adele witnessed him yelling at their grandmother and yet, the pain Leo felt at hearing her yell at him in defense of their grandmother cooled down the moment she was out of his sight.

The "I hate you!" from the three-year-old meant nothing to him the moment she was out of his sight. She was too little. She didn't understand. None of them did. He would never be able to be at peace until he figured out who was behind all of this. What if next time they took someone else? And hurt them in the same way he'd been hurt? He would never be able to bear it.

Leo slumped in the corner of the library, hidden behind some shelves when the door opened and Eins stormed in, followed closely by Count Rosenberg.

"I saw prince Leonhard with the queen mother in the gardens, we should be able to talk here." Ernst said. That made Leo perk up and listen more attentively.

"Has the third man been found?" Eins asked.

"Not exactly. But I've been looking into the kingdom of Verstace. As far as my men are concerned, the king of Verstace is unawares of what has happened here. There has been no attempt to make weapons or increase their military."

"So, it may not have been Verstace who was behind this." Eins said and paced in the library. "Who has something to gain in getting into a war with Verstace? It is a kingdom with a weak economy, weak army, lacking in comparison to Granzreich in all areas." Eins said.

Ernst looked curious and Leo listened closely. After all, everything he'd read about the country mentioned the same details.

Verstace had never been strong. It had allied itself with the eastern Kingdom of Ukras who had been the most powerful enemy of Granzreich in the final war that their father fought and won. Verstace had no major exports, depended greatly on surrounding kingdoms for imports and only had their mountainous terrain as advantageous for battle. The war with Granzreich had decimated what army they had once had and plenty of trading embargos still stood to keep them in check.

"Perhaps…" Ernst started but hesitated.

"What?" Eins asked.

"There is one thing spreading like a disease across Verstace. The strict trading restrictions has ensured that it stays clear of Granzreich…" Ernst said. "Opium."

Leo froze. Opium. A drug that spread like a disease through the kingdom of Ukras within ten years of losing to Granzreich. Leo had no way of knowing for sure, but he could take a guess that it was a way of stopping that nation from rising up ever again.

"That doesn't make sense, that would make it even less desirable. There is absolutely nothing of worth in a kingdom like that." Eins said.

"But in war, if we start advancing on Verstace, it could end up introducing the drug to Granzreich. There is a lot of money to be made in opium." Ernst said.

"It just proves that father is right in continuing the peace with Verstace." Eins said. Leo clenched his teeth. It enraged him to agree with Eins but that was just how it was. An opium epidemic in Granzreich would destroy its people and ruin the kingdom from within. Something no royals could afford to allow. Even at the price of a son. "But…" Leo looked up. "It tells us nothing of who wants this fight in the first place. Who would want to bring opium into Granzreich?"

"Any greedy noble? Perhaps a mafia family? Anyone able to get Prince Leonhard must know our guard change, layout and patterns of behaviour. So, there is either a spy in the palace, or one of our own is interested in starting this war."

Leo knew it was the later. Klaus said it was a noble from the border with Verstace. The truth was that to maintain a strict embargo, the four families that sat on the northern boarder had good support from the capital, to ensure a solid boarder control. So, greed was easily satiated with the money and soldiers sent by the capital.

Or so Leo thought. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe someone on the boarder wanted more. Leo needed to see them. If they're from the court, he will see that third man somewhere. The court will meet very soon. In the signing of the peace treaty. And Leo could not afford to miss being there.

If he told his father that the ones to abduct him were from Granzreich's court, he'd be locked in his room unable to attend the official event in an attempt to protect him and his brothers.

He couldn't tell anyone. Not until he knew for sure. He would find out in a week's time. When his father travelled to the border.

Leo stopped listening to the count and Eins. He knew what he needed to do.

oOoOoOo

Heine went late in the night to visit Viktor, as he would often do these days. Now more often than other times.

"I'm glad to see you, Heine." Viktor said and put his quill down, putting his work to the side. "How is he?" He asked.

"He is hyper-focused on his studies. When he isn't studying, he's practicing how to shoot a weapon. Brief practice with the sword, then back to the palace to study. His meals are rarely fully eaten, his favourite desert goes mostly untouched. He burnt all of his disaster diaries the other day and I am concerned with his aggressiveness, verbal, mostly, against his family." Heine said.

Viktor looked away wondering what he could do. "Perhaps I should call a doctor of the mind…" Viktor suggested.

"I… don't think that's the right approach." Heine said. A mental doctor would at best lock him up and at worst finish driving him insane with the various torture methods used to treat diseases of the mind. No, the knowledge they had simply could not help Leo.

"He slit a man's throat, Heine. And smiled at me as if he'd enjoyed it. That concerns me." Viktor said.

"Yes… but at that point Leo was still raw from his escape, his eyes wild like an animal, I don't think that's who he really has become." Heine said. He placed his hand on Viktor's. "We need to find that third man and whoever is behind him so that Leo can feel safe again."

"How?" Viktor asked softly.

"In the signing of peace. They were against it and their kidnapping plan failed. They are highly likely to try something then, and force a war to start." Heine said. Viktor nodded.

"I will make sure to place extra soldiers dressed as normal people." He said and looked at the hand Heine still had over his own. "Stay with me tonight." Viktor said softly.

Heine flinched and looked away. "I shouldn't." Heine said, heart beating strongly in his chest.

Viktor leaned in, cupping his cheek and turning him to face him, kissing him firmly. Heine gasped and reached for his friend, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He shouldn't… but he couldn't get up and walk out the door. He had held Viktor very close to his heart for decades. With the hurt and the pain of seeing Leo suffer in silence within the safety of the palace walls, neither could keep each other behind the line of professionalism any longer.

So he surrendered to his feelings and allowed the king to embrace him.