"Leo…" They both spoke at the same time.
"What are you doing?! What are you doing?!" Leo cried out. "How could you… to Professor Heine? Why… why would you do this to him?!" Leo yelled and couldn't help himself as he turned, throwing up against the edge of the wall. Every memory of Kurt using him hit him like a ton of rocks.
"Prince Leonhard, Viktor isn't… I mean… your father isn't… he's not forcing me, I-"
"Leo, please let me explain." His father insisted, rushing to put on some trousers but Leo could only look away but frozen in place. Wasn't forcing? How could Heine be doing something like that? How? It was disgusting. Unnatural.
"I don't understand! I don't understand!" Leo cried, holding his head, his father came to place his hands on his shoulders. Leo struggled but his father didn't let him go.
"Leo! Listen to me!" His father yelled and Leo looked at him, but terror coursed through his veins just looking at his father.
"You're just like him." Leo whispered.
"No… Leo… this isn't… I love Heine." His father insisted.
"I feel sick…" Leo whispered. He could very well throw up on his father if he stayed here.
"Leo please." Now Heine was here, reaching for him just like he did last night and rather than the comfort it brought before, Leo felt betrayed and flinched away from him and shook his head.
"How could you… do those things…"
"Leo… please…"
"Nnh… nhhh… delicious…" Leo could hear Kurt's satisfied groans in his ear as if it was happening again and he curled into himself, covering his face with his hands.
Leo didn't know when they got him out of the room, or when they sat him by an opened window in his father's study. The cold breeze slowly brought him back to the present time and by the time he turned to look at them, both were fully dressed in their official uniforms. Leo felt like he'd been run over by a stampede of horses.
"You even had your uniform here?" Leo managed to find his voice and Heine looked down before looking up at him.
"Yes, your highness." He said. Leo watched his father place his hand on Heine's shoulder. Leo just stared at them, betrayal the only feeling left inside him just after thinking he could have trusted either his father or his teacher.
"Leo we can explain. Heine and I…"
"I don't care." Leo finally managed. "I don't understand, and I don't care. I'm tired. May I be excused?" Leo said looking back out of the window.
"Leo if you let your father explain… you might understand." Heine said.
"Fine, explain." Leo stood up and glared at them. His father took a few seconds to collect his thoughts, but before he could speak, a knock at the door stopped him.
"Sire, the carriage is ready to depart." Someone said from outside. Probably his father's secretary.
It was time for his father to leave for the border. "Leo, I…"
"You should go, father." Leo said heading for the door but decided to pause and turn to look at him.
"Have a safe trip, your majesty." He said and left.
oOoOoOo
Viktor tried to follow Leo, but his secretary calling out to him stopped him.
"Sir, we're going to be late…"
Viktor's hands clenched into fists. He had to talk to Leo but he couldn't jeopardise the peace treaty. During the signing of peace with Verstace, hopefully, the culprits will jump out and get caught. He couldn't interrupt the plan. Leo would thank him once he had the third man and any other associates hanged for their crime of touching the royal family and treason.
"Go ahead, I'll be right there." Viktor said and closed the door, turning to Heine.
"I know…" Heine said. "I'll try and explain. When you come back, you can call him for a calm discussion."
Viktor smiled at him, feeling his heart warm at the reassurance that Heine's words brought. He cupped his cheek, amused at the rosiness that covered Heine's cheeks the longer Viktor looked at him. Viktor caressed Heine's face and leaned in for a kiss.
"Try and make him understand…" Viktor whispered.
Heine nodded. "If you do find out who that man and his associates are… don't hesitate to call upon my old skills to end them." Heine said, looking up at Viktor intently. The fire in his eyes made Viktor love him all the more, but he let him go.
"I'll be back soon." He said and left for the carriage. He hated this feeling, of having to choose the country, again, over his son, who needed him. But this was all he could do for him right now. Leo was safe at home… the kingdom's safety had to come first. It was only once that happened that he could have the full control and influence of the court and government to hunt down the culprits, even if they decided not to appear at the signing of peace.
In the meantime, he trusted Heine to keep his boys safe.
oOoOoOo
Heine watched him go before he had to sit himself down and place his face in his hands. God damnit what had he done? Leo had opened up to him… had trusted him just a few hours ago and now… all he could see was absolute betrayal on that boy's face.
Did he regret finally accepting Viktor's offer to be with him, even if in secret? He couldn't say he regretted it. He'd loved Viktor for a very long time.
From the moment the young king came to his cell, having survived the attack of Heine's gang, to grant him freedom, to offer him a chance at a second life and a promise of a better future, from then on part of his heart had been given to Viktor. Over time, he took it all, as did his children. They were Viktor's children and so he couldn't help but be fond of them. After living with them and teaching them, watching them grow, he'd only grown fonder.
Of course, neither he nor Viktor had taken their charged friendship beyond what it was while the queen had still been alive, but after she passed away giving birth to Adele, and Viktor had time to grieve the loss of a dear friend and partner, they'd began talking once more until Viktor convinced him to teach his children to be candidates for the throne.
He couldn't shake Leo's face from his mind. He'd been pale, shaking, far more horrified than he'd been when he'd spoken to him in the early morning. The reaction from the boy when they'd been caught had been visceral.
He stood up and went to find him.
oOoOoOo
Bruno frowned as he finalized his report, watching his father's carriage leaving the courtyard of the palace. He was late. The accounts were a bigger mess than he anticipated but were mostly all in order. One in particular, however, looked perfect. Not a flaw anywhere to be found. Not even sign of any corrections. Even though under any other circumstance he would have gushed at the talent of whatever accountant was behind this… from looking at the other accounts he could see the common errors that happen, corrections that need to be made, and accounts that need adjusting.
Bruno placed the report on his desk and picked up the ledger that confused him. It wasn't normal that things were so pristine when it came to the numbers. A ledger like this needs to be handled by a team of three or four accountants. That alone was enough to allow some human error to slip in and be corrected at some point or other.
He flicked through the pages, the writing definitely changing from time to time. But not a single thing was crossed out or corrected and every year they used up every last coin granted to them by the capital. Not one coin more or less. This again was strange.
Bruno couldn't shake this feeling that he had. Perhaps once his father returned, the king could order for it to get looked at in a bit more detail.
He turned to put the book down. Bruno jumped, dropping the ledger in his hand when he saw Leo sitting on his chair, reading the report.
"Leo!" He clutched his chest, feeling the rapid drumming of his heart. "You scared me." He said, frowning at his brother, who read over the report like a crazed person. He came to take the report but Leo pulled back.
Bruno sighed. He had to be stern with him here. He wanted to teach Leo more about the embargo as he'd asked, but if Leo saw that there were things that didn't seem right… it just wasn't something Leo should be reading until their father had a good look at it. Heine had even told him, that if anything strange appears, he had to show his father first.
"Leo, that's confidential. Father must be the first one to read this." Bruno said and snatched it back. A chill went down his spine at the glare that Leo sent him but it was gone in an instant.
"But brother Bruni… you said you'd tell me." Leo said in a sad voice, but something didn't sit right, again.
"…You're investigating the families." Bruno said and Leo's façade dropped, showing only panic. Panic at being found out? "Leo… talk to me…"
Leo's breathing picked up and his eyes glistened, but not the way they did when he manipulated Bruno. He could tell the subtle difference this time. He remembered what professor Heine said and realized that Heine had been suspicious of Leo approaching him too.
Bruno pulled the report close to his chest, standing up straighter. "Leonhard, why are you trying to get information on the four families' accounts?" He asked coldly.
oOoOoOo
Eins frowned as he saw Kai and Licht seemingly eavesdropping into Bruno's study.
"What are you two…"
"Shh…" Kai quickly grabbed him, with impressive strength and covered his mouth, holding him in an awkward position. Eins could have broken out of the hold easy but at the words spoken inside, he froze and joined his brothers.
"Because one of those families had me taken." Leonhard said in response.
"How do you know that? You can't accuse a noble family of something so…"
"Klaus, the man in the prison…"
"The one you killed."
Silence.
Eins saw movement and noticed the tutor approaching. His siblings didn't react to the tutor, as he stayed quiet, joining them in eavesdropping.
"That man said that the third man with me, is the son of some northern noble." Leonhard said and Eins frowned.
Two of the northern families had sons, but none within the age bracket that Leo had given their father. Bruno knew this too, all of them should. Knowing every noble and at least some of their immediate family was paramount in their education as princes. If only to survive on social occasions without making a fool of themselves.
"Leo… I think he lied to you." Bruno said.
"No. No, he wouldn't have, he… he wanted to live." Leo said.
"Leo… the nobles in charge of enforcing the embargo don't have any sons that are over thirteen. Only one has a son that has reached adulthood."
"Then… it must be him!" Leo said.
"He is Lord Hubert Klenfelt… you've met him before. He's over forty years old."
Silence again and Eins closed his eyes, wondering what his brother must be thinking right now. He opened the door and walked in, Bruno turned to look at him surprised, but Leo looked every bit as destroyed and lost as Eins imagined he would look.
Eins came to kneel beside Leonhard who looked at him with eyes that looked emptier and emptier by the second. "Leonhard, tell me what you believed." He said. A flicker of something remained alive in the boy's eyes. Leo stayed quiet for a while, and Eins wondered if he'd lost his will to speak, as Ernst's friend did, once upon a time, after being hurt as Leo had. Thankfully, Leo opened his mouth and forced words back out.
"Klaus said the man was a northern nobleman's son… so I started looking at the kingdom of Verstace and the border… and the houses that line the border. I heard you and Ernst discussing opium, and I thought… maybe one of the families got greedy and want to make more money off trading drugs into Granzreich. If a war broke out, the embargo would be harder to maintain… amongst the initial chaos…" But Leo cut himself off with a shake of his head. "I don't know… I'm just an idiot what do I know…" Leonhard mumbled.
"You're not an idiot, Leo." Licht said softly behind Eins.
"Licht is right." Heine said softly. Anger flashed in the boy's expression which made Eins turn to the tutor in curiosity. "Your assumptions make sense, but you must sometimes pause and seek advice from those around you, who may be able to inform you of things you didn't know. And you did, with Bruno… maybe if you'd told him the full truth, he would have told you this sooner." The royal tutor said.
Leonhard stood slowly. "You are right, professor. Thank you for letting me know. I'll leave it in father's hands and hope that he does a thorough investigation."
"I'm sorry, Leo. I wish I had the answers you were looking for." Bruno added but his brother didn't stop to look back at them. When he was gone, Eins took a deep breath.
"Guards…" He called.
"Your highness." Two guards said when they entered, awaiting orders. The rest of them looked at Eins confused.
"Have prince Leonhard watched closely. Find a female maid to also keep watch over him within eyesight. He is not to be left unsupervised at any time of the day."
"Brother, what are you doing?" Kai asked.
"Leo has no leads to keep him occupied. I'm keeping him watched in case he… tries to take his life." Eins said. Everyone stayed quiet for a long time, taking in the gravity of his words.
"It is a wise decision. Until your father returns, hopefully, the king will have good news." The tutor said.
"Leo wouldn't do that…" Licht said, not able to comprehend the thought process. But Eins knew… he'd been where Leo was right now. He'd seen it in his eyes. A dark place with no hope anywhere in sight. Even though it doesn't make sense, even to him now, back then, that seemed like the only option. If it hadn't been for Ernst… and the strong desire to protect his family after seeing Leonhard hurt, maybe he might still be in that dark place too.
"I hope, brother, that I am overreacting, but I'm not going to take any chances." Eins said.
The brothers could say nothing to that.
Heine could only agree. Leo needed to be watched closely for now. But Leo's theory did not seem farfetched. Just because he had a bad or unclear lead, didn't mean he was too far off the mark.
Maybe there was still something they could start investigating before Viktor's return.
