I could improve the quality of my eight existing sections… Or I could write a ninth at the last minute and bury my inadequacies under an inflated word count. :thinking:

V. Smolder

The next time Sakura found the exiled king was in the gardens. He was sitting on the cobblestones, staring pensively at a bed of deep purple flowers— hydrangeas, which shifted in hue depending on the soil they were planted in. But if her ears weren't mistaken, he was also making quiet sniffling sounds.

"King Leo? A-are you alright?"

His head jerked up and his back straightened in an instant, while still facing away from her. "I'm fine," he responded in a neutral, almost cold, tone. He sounded as though he was trying to reassure himself more than anything, but a quaver in his voice betrayed his true mood. "Thank you… for asking, Lady Sakura."

She knelt down beside him, ignoring the mild discomfort of tiny pebbles pressing into her legs. "Do you remember wh-what I said earlier, about not holding in your emotions?"

He slumped in response, hanging his head. "Yes, I do."

"Would you like to talk now, King Leo?"

"If possible, could… could you stop using my title?"

"Oh?" Sakura glanced at him, but he continued to gaze ahead. "I-I can try to. Why, though?"

He sighed lightly. "I am a king without a kingdom now, after all. And…" A pause, followed by a frown. "And nothing."

"What were you going to say?" Sakura prodded. Normally, she would avoid sticking her nose into someone else's personal business, but she also wanted Leo to open up and stop moping constantly.

"It's just that… That there's no one to call me just by my name now. I lost two of my siblings years ago, which I've more or less made my peace with, but Camilla… I didn't spend enough time with her after I became king."

Now, Sakura hesitated to continue. She could vaguely remember a fierce purple-haired woman who had confronted the Hoshidans in Cheve. "Do you know… what happened to her?"

"No. She's probably in hiding, otherwise she's dead."

"Surely you could return to Nohr and find out eventually... Maybe you'll be welcomed back one day."

Leo shook his head with a sad smile. "If my usurpers make Nohr a better place than it was under me, then that will never happen. I was too scared to challenge my court. I let them control me, and stop me from changing the country for the better. Perhaps I could go in disguise, but… I almost don't want to see Nohr again now. It would remind me too much of my mistakes."

He abruptly got to his feet, still not looking at her. "Thank you for talking with me, Princess Sakura."

VI. Flare

It was unbearably hot. Leo felt his skin burning up, and sweat drenching his forehead. He writhed around his thin mattress in a haze for what seemed like hours, as pins were seemingly driven into his head, leaving him unable to form a coherent thought. He tried to open his eyes at times, but beads of perspiration clouded and blurred his sight. His limbs were heavier than stones, and were slowly losing feeling. Faint, garbled voices drifted into his ears, as though he was deep underwater.

"... should go now…"

"... trust you with…"

A soft hand, ice cold against his skin, gently swept back his matted hair. A cloth soaked in cool water was laid against Leo's forehead, reducing the pressure against his skull. A few murmured words sent the once-familiar sensation of healing magic through his body. It did almost nothing to ease the searing heat of his skin, but he could feel his mind clearing just a bit.

"Rest now…" came a quiet and soothing feminine voice. Against that order, Leo raised his right hand to clumsily wipe away the salty mixture of sweat and tears that was obscuring his vision. He blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the paper windows. Kneeling beside him was Princess Sakura, a bowl of water and a stack of folded white cloths beside her. In the past month, she had found time everyday to talk to him, about Nohr, his siblings, his studies, and had quickly become his closest, albeit only, Hoshidan confidant.

"Wh-what…?" He croaked, his voice rough and dry.

She placed a finger against her lips. "It's time for you to sleep, Leo."

So he shut his eyes and drifted off into nonsensical fever-driven nightmares.

His head was still fuzzy, his arms and legs still heavy, and his skin still hot when he woke again. A ceramic spoon of watery, tasteless broth was being pressed against his lips, and Leo mindlessly swallowed it. He impulsively brushed away the next sip, spilling it against the sheets, and turned his head to observe the person feeding him.

Hoshido's youngest princess let out a small sound of dismay, reaching for a clean cloth to wipe up the mess. She looked worn down, visibly slumping.

"S-sorry..." Leo mumbled awkwardly. He felt like an impertinent child.

The corners of her mouth drew upwards slightly into a patient, albeit tired, smile. "That's alright, Leo."

In his addled daze, he was enchanted by how beautiful Princess Sakura looked when she was smiling. "You're pretty when you do that," he blurted out.

His sickness wasn't the only thing causing his face to burn red in that moment. Leo quickly pulled the covers up to his neck and turned away from her immediately, afraid to see her reaction. He feigned sleep until he fell into troubled dreams again.

The light outside was a soft orange when he finally returned to physical and mental normalcy. Leo no longer felt as though he was being cooked alive, and his head ached only from mild dehydration. As he gingerly sat up, he was disappointed to see that it was no longer the princess by his bedside, but rather a female samurai that he recognized as her retainer.

"You're finally awake," she said, standing up. "I don't have to play childsitter anymore."

"Where is Princess Sakura?"

"Sleeping, or at least she should be. Making sure that you didn't die was a difficult task, even for a healer as skilled as her." The samurai eyed him with distrust. "Why do you ask?"

The door slid open, revealing a clearly exhausted shrine maiden rubbing her eyes. "You don't need to be so suspicious, Hana. Did you want to talk to me, Leo?"

"I, uh, wanted to update you on my condition, and thank you for treating me. And if you could, I would like to know more about my illness." In truth, Leo also wanted to apologize for his sudden, fever-driven compliment, but, he thought, perhaps it wasn't the right time to bring it up.

"Y-you had a virus that we call huo bing. It usually causes a fever, physical weakness, and d-delirium. Almost everyone in Hoshido contracts it at some point in their life, and while it's potentially deadly the first time, you should be immune to it now."

Leo stared at her in disbelief. "My symptoms would be considered normal?"

"Well, you were reacting p-poorly to the first herbs that I gave you, which meant that I couldn't treat you the way I w-was taught..." She tried, and failed, to stifle a yawn. Her hand rose to cover her mouth, her nose was scrunching up cutely, and eyes fluttering shut. Hana moved swiftly to steady her. "I'm sorry, I'm f-feeling rather tired."

"Ah, of course. Please, get some sleep, Lady Sakura. Thank you once again."

"Mhm… Don't strain yourself for the r-rest of today, okay? I'll s-see you tomorrow, Leo."

She silently slipped down the hallway, leaning heavily on the shoulder of her retainer, before turning the corner and disappearing.

VII. Burn

"Lady Sakura, a delegation from the Republic of Nohr has arrived to speak with Lord Ryoma.."

She repeated the messenger's words slowly. "The… Republic of Nohr?"

"Yes, milady. Your presence is requested in the throne room, as soon as possible."

"Is that what they're calling themselves now?" Leo murmured beside her, after the courier had departed. The pair were sitting in a shaded corner of the courtyard, quietly pursuing their own hobbies. He had recently taken interest in Hoshidan summoning magic, while she was working on her embroidery.

"It would appear so… I guess that Ryoma wants me to be there..." Sakura replied, getting to her feet. Beside her, Leo continued to study his scrolls. "Don't you want to come along, Leo?"

He smiled dryly. "Given that they tried to kill me last time we met, I doubt that my fellow Nohrians would be happy to see me again."

And so she went alone. In the throne room, her brother and the Nohrian prime minister, a man named Andreas, exchanged words over the course of a half hour. Giving the conversation only a little bit of her attention, Sakura idly wondered if she could sneak out and return to the courtyard. If only polite banter and informal trade pacts were being discussed, she saw no reason for her to be there.

"—demanding the extradition of former king Leonardo to the Republic of Nohr so he can face trial for crimes against the state."

Ryoma shook his head immediately. "Right now, there is no possibility of that happening. King Leo personally requested indefinite asylum in Hoshido, and I will not renege on my promise so easily. I have no reason to believe that he has done enough to deserve a trial."

"You don't believe he has done enough!?" The Nohrian prime minister snarled. "He led the country into a war that accomplished absolutely nothing, and then only let Nohr crumble more in two years! His actions and subsequent inaction have led to thousands of preventable deaths!"

"H-hold on just a second, Sir Andreas!" Every pair of eyes in the room snapped towards Sakura. Under normal circumstances, she would have turned a deep red at the attention being given to her, but she was determined to respond to the baseless slander that this man was spouting. "Leo didn't choose to start the war, his f-father did! And he did try to change Nohr for the better, but never could because of his court! You're saying lies about someone that you don't even know!

"I won't deny that he made mistakes, and he doesn't deny that either, but you can't possibly blame him and only him for things that were out of his control! Now you want to subject him to an unfair show trial and make him a scapegoat!"

Andreas held his hands up at Sakura placatingly. "Thank you for your input, Princess, but this is a matter between myself and your brother—"

"Which means that I have the final say on this matter, and the answer is a definite no," Ryoma interjected sharply. "If you are done belittling my sister, then your audience with me is over."

"What? But, you can't just dismiss me! We're the—"

"Get out. Of my palace." Ryoma's face was stony, but his eyes were dark and deadly. Sakura had never seen her brother so angry since they had met the Nohrian army on the plains of Hoshido two years before. The other representatives shuffled around nervously, some edging towards the door. The Nohrian prime minister's face had been red with anger, but was slowly paling.

"W-we thank you for your time, King Ryoma," he stammered. With a hasty bow, he hurried out of the throne room. Sakura watched as the rest of the Nohrians hastily followed him out of the throne room like rats under the gaze of a lion.

"I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who wanted to punch that guy in the face," came voice from beside her. Her sister appeared beside her, grinning widely.

"Hinoka! I would never do that! A-and you definitely should not have been considering that!"

The older princess laughed at the reaction she received. "I was just joking, Sakura. I know that you're not the violent type. So…" Hinoka's voice dropped conspiratorially. "What was your motivation for speaking up today? Did it have, say, blond hair and gorgeous brown eyes?"

"H-Hinoka!"

VIII. Blaze

Leo stood on a wooden bridge that overlooking a river, littered with pale pink petals. The wind made ripples on the water's surface. Spring in Hoshido was markedly different from spring in Nohr. Instead of heavy rain drowning seedlings and washing away the already scarce topsoil, cherry and plum trees bloomed in unison, dispersing their petals into the sky. It was an enchanting sight to behold for someone used to darkness and gloom.

Light footsteps on the cobblestone path, growing louder as they approached him, pulled Leo out of his trance.

"Prince Takumi."

The Hoshidan inclined his head in reply. The two royals looked back over the river in silence. When Leo had initially arrived in Hoshido, the grey-haired archer had been indifferent to his presence. Not rude, nor cold, but distant. It was Sakura who had tried to kindle a friendship between them. After a number of false starts, they had finally found some common ground over food, of all things.

"You won't be seeing me for the next few months."

"Hmm?"

"I've decided to go see the world. Become my own man. Find my way out from underneath these shadows." Takumi shook his head sheepishly. "Look, the point is, while I'm gone, I want you to take care of my sister, okay? We've been drifting apart because of our responsibilities, and I know that she's no longer a child, but I still worry about her."

"You can rely on me." Leo smiled at his peer. "Who would have thought that one day you would ask a Nohrian for a personal favour?"

"The world works in unexpected ways, doesn't it?"

It was mid-afternoon when Takumi bade farewell to Leo. On a whim, the Nohrian decided to visit the gardens, where he had seen Sakura pulling out stray grasses and replacing any ruined flowers. Earlier in the day, she had shooed him away when he offered to help, saying that 'the bulbs were too delicate' for him to handle. Her insistence on doing it herself was endearing enough that Leo could ignore his slight disappointment at the tiny rejection.

He saw the shrine maiden was sitting on the edge of the flowerbeds, still and quiet. She didn't react at all as he walked closer.

"Sakura? Are you feeling unwell?"

She stiffened immediately. "Oh, hello Leo. I was just… lost in thought. About the future."

"I hear that your brother is leaving soon," he said, kneeling beside her. "Is that what you're thinking about?"

Sakura sagged beside him. "It's not just Takumi. It feels like everyone is moving on with their lives and leaving me behind. Subaki is getting married soon, Hana is returning home to visit her mother, Hinoka is busy commanding the army, Ryoma is the king… "

"If it's any consolation, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Mhm…" she murmured softly, lightly rest her head against his shoulder. "I can be happy about that, at least."

IX. Ignite

"Leo, does Nohrian culture have stories about constellations?" The two of them were sitting on a hilltop on the outskirts of the castle. Citing an rare astronomical event, Leo had asked Sakura to observe it with him. They weren't entirely alone, as a number of local townspeople were also nearby, sitting scattered throughout the surrounding plains. However, recognizing their princess, all had kept a respectful distance away.

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, in the past, we looked at the stars and saw legendary heroes in them. People of strength, beauty, and kindness. During my father's reign, reverence for the gods and the spread of these stories was... discouraged, which is probably the reason why I don't believe in them as much as others do. Besides," Leo continued, "why should I look at the stars for greatness when there are real people like that right next to me?"

She blushed, her cheeks heating up. "Y-you're just exaggerating, a-aren't you?"

"I'm very serious, Sakura. You were my light when I was in darkness, pulling me out of my misery. You're compassionate, hardworking, beautiful, and, well, you've ignited within me feelings of love… For you."

If her face could turn anymore red, it did. Even though Sakura had seen hints of Leo's affection for weeks, she hadn't expected his confession to be so sudden, so informal. Every serious suitor had tried, usually in vain, to gain the approval of Ryoma first, and until that very moment she had thought that Leo would follow the same unwritten rule.

"I-I've never had someone sincerely confess their f-feelings for me… I don't kn-know what to do, or say…"

Leo reached towards her, and, after only a little hesitation, Sakura placed her hands on top of his. "Do you feel the same way towards me?" he asked gently.

"Of course I do."

Streaks of light in the sky raced past them at incredible speeds, enchanting to the people around them, but to Leo and Sakura, the wonders of the world were already in front of them.

As the deadline grows closer, the bar of quality drops.

I would definitely edit/rewrite this if I had time, which I don't, and there was a point, which there isn't. I also wrote the last two sections after taking a three day break, which was an awful idea that severely messed up my attempt to have a consistent style.

Thank you to my less than three reviewers (I can't put a text heart here using the less-than sign? There goes my attempt at a joke.). No, I don't post (or even read) on other sites.