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nammanarin · 7 days ago

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Hey Bunny I love your analysis of dating Leona, so I wanted to know your take/analysis of how he would be as a Spouse and maybe even as a parent.

Much Love! 🦁💛✨️

Leona as a Spouse/Parent

Hi! I’ve been asked the parent question a few times, so let me try to answer it thoroughly! Typical disclaimer that these are just MY opinions and whether or not you decide to make fan kids or not with Leona, is up to you.

As a Spouse:

Leona as a spouse is much like he would be as a partner I think. For Leona, marriage is just the logical next step and if you have chosen him and especially after you share a life together, it's already set in his mind that you are his chosen one.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I don't think Leona enters relationships casually. I think he perhaps had some unattached relations before you BUT I don’t see him as a casual dater at all. He is sensitive, someone who closely guards his feelings and I don’t think he is in the right mind to wanna date or be particularly interested in romance. He let these dreams wither, leaving them behind in those silly romance books he read as a kid in the palace library.

Any relationship he has is purely by serendipity (something else he doesn’t believe in) , he hungers for affection for acceptance but until he finds someone to sate that and—most importantly— someone who makes him feel safe. He would take your relationship very seriously thinking of you as one entity. (We are one and all that.) On the same team. His missing piece.

What a married future looks like with Leona: Cozy, Quiet, Personal

I think he would prefer you both to be separate from palace life. Close enough to satisfy his naggy family, far enough to shield you from the hustle and bustle of the palace life and all the attention that comes with it.

Plus, a place of your own is something that is purely yours and his would mean everything to him. Leona once said in a vignette that a perfect vacation for him would be a quiet hotel where he can rest and do what he wants without the prying eyes of others or any responsibilities. His married life is the same. I can’t see him wanting a super public or traditional marriage. He just wants it all over with so he can just enjoy a simple life with you.

This isn’t how he expected his future to go after all, to be so domesticated, so peaceful. He assumed he’d be a palace brat for the rest of his days so he’ll need a bit of patience to learn how to be “normal.” He doesn't know how to do basic things. Clean, cook for himself. You’ll need to teach him, or if you insist...he’ll go get lessons. (and pay attention this time) He may be lazy, but he’s competitive and he’s not fucking up this husband thing. HE'LL BE THE BEST. He tries but occasionally you’ll catch Ruggie coming over to help him clean.

The house you share is messy but it’s yours. Be prepared to compromise on a few things when it comes to chores and his habits.

One thing you’ll never have to worry about is losing his attention. He’s not afraid to let you know how much he ADORES you. Whether it’s pestering you to pay attention to “your Lion” or refusing to take his hand off your leg when you guys are driving around. You’ve given him the happy ending he’d never expected to have and he’ll spend the rest of his life repaying you for that.

He’ll still be Leona, ofc. Moody, a big grump. He’s sweet behind your closed doors but I can see him hesitate to leave your shared sanctuary. Sure, whatever. He’ll go to that party you wanna go to, or take you wherever you want. Whatever you like, just expect the usual Leona sass. HE'LL GO; BUT HE'S COMPLAINING THE WHOLE TIME. And yes, he’ll still struggle with his mental health somedays, and that of course affects his motivation but...at least he’s got you to help him through it.

And you bet when you're having your bad days, he's just as attentive to you. He’ll spend the day in bed with you if that's what you need. Talk you through it. Praise you. Hold you. Take you to Sunset Savanna hot springs. Read to you. Whatever gets you back on track. BE WARNED. He considers you talking bad about yourself a personal offense so prepare for some gentle teasing or even some love bites.

Leona is a VERY simple guy in terms of day-to-day life. He likes his leisure time, good food, and most of all, his time with you. After work, he enjoys quiet reading and chess games, maybe yapping about work or history to you. He’s a good listener. Talking shit about the person who pissed you off at work? He's ready to talk shit about them too. Leona is a homebody and often wonders if he’s too boring for you, because the perfect night to him will always be a quiet one with you by his side, in your messy, shared bed, with way too many pillows.

As far as “work” for Leona I can see a few paths: and teacher, Spelldrive coach. Establishing community centers in smaller towns etc. Or similar to his internship working to harness the ways the natural resources of the country can benefit its common people. If he does do political work I see him doing his best to stay away from the palace.

For some reason I can’t see the house ever being too quiet. I like to think he still keeps ties to Ruggie and as Cheka becomes a teen he’ll grow even closer to his "cool" Uncle Leona and his partner.

Morning cuddles are especially dangerous with Leona as husband, he makes you or himself late almost everyday.

Having Children:

So, we hear from Leona VERY often he doesn't like children and there's really no reason in this instance to doubt his words. CLEARLY he doesn't hate them since he goes out of his way to care for his underclassmen, (Leona tends to refer to students under him who are not 3rd year “kids”) and I believe he sees them that way.

Now Leona being Leona his “child-hate” could be more facetious than he lets on. While I do think while he is fond on his younger classmates there's no reason to think he likes little kids too. He's grumpy, he's dry and a logical person. I think he means it. Does he hate Cheka? No, of course not. But does he want one of his own?

Short answer is: I don’t think so.

Taking his mental health and ambitions into consideration I can't see him purposely entering into a relationship with the intent of children. He seems like the type to settle with a partner to want to enjoy his freedom and quiet life with them as I discussed above.

But let's play devil's advocate! Despite what I see people interpret about him and his work ethic, Leona has a lot of responsibilities. He knows how to show up.

He’s the captain of the Spelldrive club and a dorm leader, and he participates in additional training in the morning for Spelldrive. He knows when to put effort in and is good balancing these things with a nonchalant attitude. It’s easy to see that Leona has the “begrudging big brother” trope written all over him.

And despite his lazy tendencies, he puts hard work into the things actually cares about. AKA his club activities and his underclassmen. Cater in a vignette pointed out that Leona’s dorm members always gush about what a great senpai he is.

SO-

Taking all that into account, I don’t thing Leona would be a BAD parent however he is very spoiled, self-interested and can be harsh at times. The difference between a child and a partner with Leona is maturity, and the fact he benefits from a partner. He gets support etc, an EQUAL. A child offers him no "benefits" and relies all on him. I think he would love a child obviously, but I can only see if it was an accidental circumstance that brought the child into being, or maybe there is another situation where he has no choice.

Leona is a creature of comfort and leisure. Therefore I can not see him wanting a bunch of kids running around? Despite what he might be pressured to do by a partner or his family. Since Cheka exists, I can't see there see being as MUCH pressure to have kids for heirs but who knows? We know Leona is as non-traditional as they come and rebels at the ideas pushed onto him by his family anyways. PLUS being based on Scar this is BAKED so much into his character. He's unc, you know?

But, let's say things happen and he finds himself with a child. (And I think he’s only want one.)

If his partner is AFAB, I can see the idea of pregnancy terrifying him. He might even take a stoic approach to the child before it comes, prioritizing the health of his partner before anything else. It's just how his mind works. Nothing good ever happens to him right? He doesn't show it but he's worried sick the whole time, making sure you have the best doctors and you don’t so much raise a finger.

With adoption, I suppose it would be different. I think it would take him a while to warm up to the child, but as soon as he gets a whiff that this creature relies on him, he loves them. They need him. And then, he might see the unseen rewards of being a parent?

So, I think he could be a good dad, I just don't see him seeking this out.

As a person with trauma I always hear the biggest fear is passing that said trauma onto a kid, Leona being such a self-aware person, I think he would fear this above all. He doesn’t wanna fuck 'em up, you know?

For this reason, like I mentioned, I can only see him wanting one child, so he can ensure they never have anyone they're compared to.

I do believe in #girldad Leona just because it sounds cute! I can see him sitting there having a tea party while getting his hair braided. It's different when it's your own right?

He can be too stern sometimes, just like with his S/O. He wants the best for them! But, they would never feel like they disappointed him. It’s more about getting them to understand what they have to do to make it in this unfair world. He’s not sheltering them. He saw what that shit did to him, though old habits die hard. I can totally see him pawning the kid off when he's overwhelmed. He'd rather them spend time away sometimes, than be around him when he’s not at his best.

Just like he’d fear being unsatisfactory partner, he'd fear being a bad dad, and I think he would confess this to his partner. He may not be perfect when their small and noisy but as they get older he’ll discover better ways to bond with them. By teaching them, reading to them. He'd do his best. And despite his best efforts...I think he’d end up spoiling that damn child. Despite what Leona thinks he has a lot of love to give! I think so anyways.

Anyways those are my thoughts!

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nammanarin · 1 month ago

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Devourer👑(Scar!Leona x Yuu) 02

Leona got everything he wanted, except for one thing. After 7 long years of being king, Yuu comes back into his life. As Yuu finds themselves in his nightmare, will they be able to "find " Leona and wake him? Or will they both be devoured?

Characters: Leona Kingscholar x Yuu!Reader (GN. No physical description for Yuu. They/Them pronouns. Yuu majored in alchemy and graduated as a Doctor of Botany)

Words: 7k, 3rd person Notes: A darker AU based on Leona’s Chapter 7 Dream. Parts: Part 1, Part 2

CW: None

Tagging: I will be tagging in comments! Let me know if you wanna be added!

-- The scent of leather and cologne filled the stretch of silence between them.

Yuu almost keeled over when the King himself volunteered to escort them to the Tree of Life. Apparently, only the royals were allowed there, and now they supposed he was the only one left. Once a common cultural touchstone and protected nature reserve, what remained had been boarded up from the common people years ago.

Yuu smoothed down the hem of their travel coat, pretending to review all the annotated field notes in their lap. Harvest yields in the semi-arid zones, and things like that: scrawled in their scratchy, uneven handwriting. All of it seemed infinitely less important under Leona's gaze from beside them.

He wasn’t even trying to hide it.

They shifted, the hum of the royal limo rolling beneath them. "So…I- um... I’ve marked three regions near the border where the native flora’s struggling. If we don’t intervene soon, it could trigger soil collapse by the peak of the drought season." Their words came out fast, too rehearsed. “M-my goal today is to gain insight from the soil in the reserve and assess why that flora seems to be still thriving there despite well-.”

Leona didn’t answer right away. He never did. He liked to listen. Wait. Let the words stagnate in the air until Yuu started babbling once again.

They glanced up from their work journal, they shouldn’t have. His sharp green eyes were on them, unreadable, heavy, and framed in their usual dark shadows. He always noticed more than they wanted him to.

They used one hand to rub the back of their neck under the collar of their coat. "We could…start collecting samples at the southern ridge, near the landmark itself, if you like." Yuu added quickly, tapping the corner of the notebook. "There’s a species of Helichrysum there I haven’t catalogued. It might help replenish the-"

"Mm." Just a sound, from taut lips. A small one at that. But it landed like a heavy boulder.

They straightened, tucking a piece of hair behind their ear under his gaze. His dark mane was brushed back as usual, besides a few strands that the wind had tugged loose.

He was the king, they reminded themself. And you’re here to be his environmental adviser. A doctor of botany. Not for...anything else.

But then he leaned over, the bright wooden beads dripping from his beige, low-cut tunic, fanning across his chest. It was much more casual attire than his usual sharp, black dashiki. He said they should ‘blend in’ after all. “Doctor.” Ever so slightly, he rested his chin on his hand, "You’ve got a bit of dirt in your hair…"

Yuu let out a strangled breath and felt the sun beating harder on their face through the car window. They slid as close as they could towards the car door, creating some much-needed space to check their reflection. “Oh.”

Damn him, he was right. They looked down sharply, eyes fixed on a scribbled note in the corner of the page. He had said it like a joke, not unkind.

Though after their last interaction, they had no idea how to receive him or his attempts at ‘teasing them’ going forward. Fear, fear was easy, a thorny thing in their guts that made it hard to breathe. But, now…taking harbor in their insides lurked something else. Something more dangerous.

“Yes, I was…harvesting some cuttings from-” They muttered, attempting to reclaim some dignity, reaching up to ruffle their hair, a pang of annoyance that he was probably not taking what they were saying seriously.

A soft chuckle rumbled from his side of the backseat, low and infuriatingly unbothered. Was the King really in such a nonchalant mood today?

They didn’t trust it. Nope, not anymore. Leona had always been one for games, sure, but they had no idea of the scope of the game afoot now. A week and he had acted as if that intimate moment in the throne room never happened; a strange dream or maybe…a shared delusion. Either way, it disturbed them.

Back at Night Raven College, Leona he'd always been more interested in bothering them in class than lectures, lounging in the back of the room like he’d seen and heard it all before. Always…prodding them outside their comfort zone so he could get a read on their truths. Getting them to let their guard down, he was good at that.

Now there he was, a King, still lounging, still watching, his gaze still infuriatingly proding. But, something had changed in the way he looked at them. Like he remembered more than they did. Or maybe he just remembered it better.

They clutched the notebook tighter as a beat of silence passed, ears burning. "Well…did I get it?" Their mouth formed a little line of annoyance he wouldn't miss.

"Almost," he said, reaching over, and before they knew it, Yuu could feel those claws on their scalp. His fingertips never actually touched their skin, but they froze anyway as he bent over them.

One of his long nails traced the top of their temple as he leaned away. "There. Good now, Doctor." Leona let his hand drop back down into his knee.

He was toying with them.

Yuu’s gaze shifted down, ignoring the tingling that went from their scalp down into their spine as they slammed their journal closed. “Thanks.”

Outside, desert scrub blurred past the tinted windows, dry and sun-bleached. How Yuu longed to be out there already, knee-deep in thistle, where the king’s intrusive gaze couldn’t reach them.

But the limo kept rolling. And the king was still mere feet away. And Yuu’s heart, the traitorous thing…kept forgetting exactly who he was.

His plan was working, his silent insistence made them want to speak to fill the quiet. To reveal themselves. “So, have you…visited the Tree of Life recently…Your Highness? I heard the land used to be the most fertile of all,” Yuu asked. It was something to keep their mind on the mission and not on him. The question came out casual, but something in their gut already knew the answer.

Leona’s face turned solemn. He stared out the window, his voice low and even. “No… I haven’t.” A pause as his eyes remained fixed on the passing scenery. “I’ve been occupied with other… matters.”

That word ‘matters’ dripped with something bitter. Yuu caught it immediately, like he resented having to explain himself at all.

Yuu's brow arched slightly, but they bit their tongue. The rumors had whispered truths they couldn’t ignore: too much new construction, over-farmed soil, dwindling crops, famine creeping in at the edges of the kingdom. And he was doing…what, exactly?

“I wonder respectfully, Your Highness... what matters may have come about before such a thing?” They asked, tone neutral, as if they hadn’t just tiptoed across a landmine. Yuu was careful to bury their disdain beneath a mask of curiosity.

Leona’s eyebrows furrowed. Slowly, he turned to look at them, the whites of his eyes stark against the black kohl in his waterline. It was a warning. “Watch yourself, Doctor,” he said, voice low, the danger in it unmistakable.

Why did they push their luck with him, knowing what could happen?

Surely, his interest in them…it was superficial. They didn’t know why they expected any special treatment from the King after one little incident or even a shared past. If anything, they were just an object of brief comfort to him, like an old stuffed animal on a shelf. Did he actually want their help to fix the kingdom, or their…attention?

Yuu’s stomach turned cold. They swallowed the lump forming in their throat and dropped their eyes, “I meant no disrespect. But… you hired me to help, My King. I just want to learn as much as I can about the problems this kingdom faces. I…apologize.” Their voice softened, gaze turning toward the window, pulse hammering in their chest.

For a moment, he studied them from the edge of his gaze, reading their displeased reaction. Then finally, “Mmm...Apology accepted. But don’t forget your place here, Doctor. You’re here to help me fix this mess, not question my decisions.”

Not like they used to.

Yuu’s chest ached. His words were cold, a slap in the face. They nodded, forcing composure. “Of course... sir.” The honorific left a bitter taste in their mouth.

Holding their journal close to their chest, their fingers pressed tighter on the spine than they needed to be. They shouldn’t let it get to them. But it did. That brief time on the throne beside him when he whispered to them like they mattered, it had fooled them and dared to think the old Leona still lived…beneath the crown.

Stupid.

The air in the car suddenly felt too thick. With a huff, they reached for the window button and rolled it down, letting in a gust of sharp, hot wind.

Leona’s eyes flicked to theirs. “What are you doing?” His voice came out rougher than before.

Yuu let out a huff. “Surveying the local fauna, Your Highness.” The title rolled off their tongue with the smallest edge of facetiousness. Keeping their eyes trained on the barren fields, empty houses blurred past: newly built, but lifeless, the walls tagged with graffiti.

Long Live the King.

The sarcasm in the paint was unmistakable.

Leona followed their gaze, then scowled. “That again…” he muttered, tension rippling through him. “And…Don’t bother. As for the fauna, it's long gone in this area,” he said flatly, reaching over their lap quickly to roll the window up. “We’ll have to go deeper into the countryside to collect samples.”

The window buzzed in their ear as the man's arms stretched over their lap. Yuu nodded but held their breath; a sour feeling building in their gut. Their fingers drifted to their neck, instinctively as if to protect it from him. The spot where he’d drifted his lips across only a few days ago.

They had wanted to know why, but maybe they shouldn’t have. “Yes…” Yuu murmured, their voice barely filling the silence between them.

Leona noticed as he retreated to his corner, eyes lingering on their fingers at their neck. Of course.

He didn’t say anything, but something shifted behind his expression. Then, like always, the mask dropped back in place. “You can relax,” he muttered quickly. His voice was softer now, but they couldn’t tell if it was for their sake. “We’ll be there soon.”

Yuu let their head rest against the glass to try to do as he said. Impossible with him, less than a foot away. “Sure. If you don’t mind...sir. I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit,” They let out a wry laugh. “I usually end up falling asleep at my desk in the greenhouse...The royal limo is a luxury compared to that.” Their voice faded, eyes closing. At least pretending to sleep would relieve them of any more conversation. Yuu curled their legs up onto the seat, trying best to let go of the tension in their limbs.

Of course, they didn’t mean to actually fall asleep. But it came so…easily. The rhythm of the car, the low hum of the engine, the warmth from the sun through the window, and of course…that familiar smell.

Out of nostalgia, their lips mouthed the notes: Cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, citrus. And in minutes, they were gone.

Yuu didn’t notice their fingers curl lightly around his arm, or that they leaned over at some point, their head resting against his shoulder, nor the way they murmured his name in their dreams.

Say my name.

Leona-

Yuu stirred awake with a faint hum as the car slowed, their cheek brushing against something firm and warm. Their brows knit. It wasn’t the window. And the steady rise and fall beneath their ear wasn’t just the bumps in the road.

Yuu could feel him breathing near their ear, exhales warming their neck, long silk-pressed hair draped over their shoulder. For a moment, he was there…behind their lids: the man they knew, early twenties, with an easy, lop-sided grin that always infuriated them.

They didn’t wanna open their eyes to see him. The King. Stoic, prematurely greying, gaze a thousand miles away, with frown lines to match.

Yuu swallowed, finally letting their eyes flutter open, just slightly, enough to see their arm looped with his.

Oh shit.

A sharp jolt of panic raced down their spine as the fantasy faded away. Yuu froze, willing themselves not to react too suddenly. If they moved too fast, it would draw attention. But if they lingered, they’d have to live with the knowledge that they’d let their guard drop that much. That they had sought him out, even unconsciously.

Instead, Yuu tilted their head just enough to glance up at him.

Leona’s eyes were closed, his jaw slack with something approaching peace. He hadn’t shoved them off, or said another word. And…damn, he looked tired.

They hated the way their chest ached at the sight. Hated how easily their body betrayed them with warmth. How stupidly soft they’ve become in the moment.

Finally, Yuu pulled away, slow and careful, trying not to wake him if he was asleep. They flattened their hair, sat up, and stared out the window again. Their jaw tightened. What the hell was wrong with them?

A few moments passed before Leona stirred. Whether he’d been asleep or simply letting them rest, they’d probably never know.

"You really haven't changed, have you? Still falling asleep in the most inconvenient places." His voice was rough, with sleep or maybe…something else. The familiarity in his tone stung.

You’re one to talk. Is what they wanted to say.

Yuu nodded without looking at him. “Yeah, thanks. I didn’t mean to doze off like that…sir.” They straightened their coat, heat blooming in their cheeks. When their hand met their face, their heart was still racing. His smell had seeped into their cheek, the seam of his tunic creating a temporary crease on their skin.

He didn’t press. Didn’t mock. Just let the silence settle as they collected themselves.

Yuu’s hands dropped to their lap. They couldn’t afford to be stupid and careless like that again. That close. Not with him. The last thing they wanted was to encourage what happened before or have a repeat of it. But a part of them…some stubborn, stupid, still bleeding part…had wanted to dream of the past for just a little longer.

And that scared them more than anything.

Meanwhile, the king’s expression stayed hidden, and his attention suddenly seemed focused on whatever scenery rushed past the window, craning his head strategically away from them. The only indication of his emotions was his clawed fingers, twitching restlessly on the leather seat between them.

Yuu swallowed down the dryness of sleep still caught in their throat. “And, uh…thank you for... not waking me. I must’ve…needed that,” they said, voice lighter than they felt, tagging on a forced laugh at the end.

A chuff, almost a laugh. “Yeah, you were drooling on me, ya know.” A smirk appeared at last to match his tone, slow and crooked on his lips.

“S-sorry, sir.” They huffed, trying to play it off, stretching their arms up over their head. “Not very professional of me, huh?” A smile tugged helplessly at their lips.

“Not very professional at all, Doctor,” They could hear his smirk.

Was that actually a joke?

“Drooling all over the king’s shoulder. Hmph, what would the council think if they knew you had such sloppy sleeping habits, hm?”

Yuu snorted, leaning into the teasing, despite the prickling of their cheeks. “Aaa, exile, I expect? Or maybe…they won’t invite me to any more of those…parties. That’s fine. I’m sure the council doesn’t think much of me anyway.”

Leona chuckled, low and rough. His gaze lingered on them for a second too long, like he was seeing something that was not in the present.

“Well…it’s a good thing for you I hired you, isn’t it? Tch, and the council-” He shrugged. “It’s true they couldn’t care less about you. To them, I’m afraid you’re just an outsider, like me.”

That caught Yuu off guard. They turned their head, studying him with a quiet curiosity. “You really feel that way?” they asked softly. “I mean... You grew up there, in the palace, didn’t you?” Their mouth went off without them again, almost as if this was just normal conversation.

He shrugged, slower this time. His face closed off, solemn.

"Yeah...yeah, I did," he replied gruffly. “But remember, I was the second-born, the spare. Born with a magic that could level the palace. My life was never my own. Besides, my brother was always the one destined for greatness, not me." There was no venom in his voice, just that worn-down bitterness, like a stone that had been smoothed by years of erosion.

Yuu tilted their head, watching him carefully. It was just like before, a glimmer of pain, seeping from the cracks of a mask, “But...you…you’re the King now,” They said.

Leona scoffed, the sound sharp. “Right, of course. I’m the king now.” He leaned back against the seat, exhaling a breath that seemed to carry all the weight of their years apart. “Even now, there are still whispers behind my back. Questioning my competency. Calling me a monster. Nothing’s changed, really,” He squinted. “I'm not supposed to be here. To the kingdom, I'm just a usurper, sitting on a throne that never belonged to me.”

Yuu hesitated, biting their lip before glancing at him once more. His voice was raw just as it was before. They wanted to help, but what could they say that could actually help him navigate any of this? Instead, their words came out like a sloppy bandage. “But- even if it’s not exactly as you expected, there’s still so much potential... Le-” They caught themselves. “er-Your Highness.”

From the corner of their eye, they saw him watching them, a flicker of something softer in his eyes, amusement maybe.

“Potential, huh? That’s naive,” he echoed, voice wrapped in nostalgia. “...You sound like he did.” It was a softer response than they expected. Yuu was sure that few dared even bring up the subject of the past to the King.

Their heart slowed, and it instilled them with false confidence to keep running their damn mouth. “Even if it wasn’t destined to be yours, it is now. You…have the power to mold it into whatever you desire.”

Too much.

Leona laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You make it sound so painfully simple, Doctor," he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. "As if it's so easy to change everything. I’ve tried…I don't have the vision that Farena had, the drive to make this kingdom better. Sometimes…I'm not sure that I even care. Power? Sure, I’ve got that. But it all comes with a price. Political games. Backstabbin’. Assassination threats-” He shook his head and looked out the window again.

Yuu frowned, the frustration tugging at Leona’s words made their next thought slip out before they could stop it. “Well... then why are you still here then? Why not leave it to another? Let the council figure it out. Elect a-”

“What?” His laugh this time was dark and sharp, like a blade drawn. “Ha. Just leave? This is my home. My kingdom. My birthright.” His eyes flashed, wild and cornered. “The council would never let me go. I’m not Farena, the perfect heir. I’m the wild card. The dark horse. They’d never allow me to walk away…unscathed.” There was a pause. Then, more quietly, he muttered, “Besides... even if I could leave, where would I even go?”

Yuu winced. “That’s…fair.” They shook their head, eyes stinging from the sharpness in his tone. “Maybe it was…childish of me to suggest. But... if you can’t leave, and you don’t care, then…?” Their grip tightened on the bottom of the seat. “I guess…I don’t understand, sir.”

Leona scoffed again, the noise hard and hollow. “You don’t understand... of course you don’t.”

He ran a hand through his hair, and Yuu watched him, heart sinking with the sight of him unraveling just enough to reveal what he kept hidden beneath the surface.

“You think it’s easy to care when everything you ever cared about is gone,” he said, each word raw. “When you have nothing left to fight for. When everything you ever…loved has been taken from you.” His voice rose slightly, shaking. “How could you possibly understand what it’s like to be trapped like this? To have your life decided for you. To be living in your own casket?”

Nothing left?

Yuu swallowed hard at that word in particular. Nothing. They didn’t look away, feeling their own emotions bubble up. Anger even.

“Maybe you’re right...but-” Their voice was quiet, throat tight. “It’s true, I’ve never been through exactly what you have. I can’t imagine how it must be if...I lost what you’ve lost.” They exhaled, slow and steady. “But I’ve lost. I don’t have a home. No family. I know what it means to feel alone.” They bowed their head slightly, slipping their composure back into place like a mask. “I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone- I apologize again...I just wish I knew what to say to help…Your Highness.” They gritted out the title, blinking away any tears that threatened to swell up.

It had been a horrible move. This wasn’t the Leona that Yuu once knew. That ‘Leona’ was gone…as much a relic of the past as he saw them to be. What sat next to them now was the King of Beasts: a husk with memories that they happened to share of better times.

For what seemed like forever, there was only silence. When they glanced back up, Leona was watching them as expected.

“Hear me when I say this. I told you before: there’s nothing anyone can say or do to help me,” he muttered, voice rough, almost defeated. “This…this is my destiny,” his eyes turned from Yuu to the Savanna. “There’s no getting out of this alive for me. That’s all there is to it.”

He was right, he had warned them that day on the throne. They were powerless to help him. “Yes, my King.” --

The limo pulled off the main road with a gentle crunch of gravel, tires rolling to a stop at the edge of a sun-baked ridge. Up ahead lay the Tree of Life itself, providing shade from the shimmering heat waves, its great branches swaying in the wind. Yuu opened their door first, tossing their bag over their head. They stepped out quickly, grateful, for once, for the dry heat that greeted them. It was tangible, real, and a much-needed distraction.

Wind tugged at the loose pieces of their hair as they scanned the dusty landscape. As they were told, the southern ridge was blooming, dotted with flecks of stubborn green blooms. They dropped to one knee, already unzipping their field kit bag, their heart steadying with the rhythm of a ritual they had done thousands of times before.

Behind them, they could feel Leona watching. Of course, he was.

His sandals crunched the gravel behind them, measured and unhurried.

“This area hasn’t seen sustained rainfall in eight months,” They started. “But the helichrysum stoechas here are thriving, somehow. If it’s evolved a drought-resilient trait, it could be useful for-”

Yuu caught themselves rambling, and shut their mouth before they could say something foolish like: Would you stop standing so close?

Leona crouched beside them, surprisingly quiet for someone so used to being announced when he entered a room. “You speak of it like it’s a damn miracle,” he said, brushing a clawed finger just over a cluster of yellow blooms, gently spreading the petals with his knuckles.

Their eyes flicked to him. “In a way, it is”

He looked up at them, and for a moment, the wind stilled. Something in his face softened like some old, half-forgotten memory had passed behind his eyes. “You…always got like this around the gardens. Like the world could be narrowed down to the size of a single stem.”

Yuu frowned to hide their slight amusement. “I didn’t realize you remembered anything from school.”

“I remember everything, Doctor,” he said, voice low. As his head tilted, the curled locks of dark hair whipped around his furrowed brow.

They were a bit taken aback. “Well…I’m afraid most of us don’t share your talent, Your Highness. It…must be nice.”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t ya, Doctor?” He made a small click with his tongue, the edge of his mouth flicking up.

Before Yuu could answer, their datapad in their pocket chimed, a notification from the soil sensor. Fishing it from their pocket gratefully, they retreated back into the safety of their task. Numbers. Ratios. Things that didn’t look at them like that.

“Hmm, I’ll need to collect some root samples. The acidity levels here are off the charts. It’s strange…Seems something’s affecting the soil from underneath.” Yuu stood, brushing their knees off. “I’ll have to dig deeper.”

Leona rose too beside them, his gaze steady. “Then I’ll stay.”

“You…don’t have to, s-sir.” They said a little too quickly, maybe seeming a bit too eager to get rid of him.

“Oh, I know.” He chewed his lip as he spoke, quirking a brow at them.

Of course.

Resisting the urge to roll their eyes, they chose to grit their teeth instead. Yuu knelt again, turning their device scanner, eyes narrowing at the sudden spike in the moisture index. “That’s not right,” They muttered, head tilted at the screen.

Leona hovered beside them, quiet but present, letting them take the lead.

“It’s saying: there’s…water deeper down,” They said. “But the surface here is bone-dry. Like something’s… blocking it.”

“Hmm,” He crouched beside them once more, brows slightly furrowed as he scanned the readout. “Need me to open the ground?” He didn’t move. Just waited for their instruction, patiently. But, they could feel his strong magic already building. After being the only person without it back then, it was something that became quite familiar to Yuu. They could sense it, coiled beneath the skin of others like a second heartbeat.

With Leona, it was like static, smooth, and gritty at the same time. The type of power that made you stop breathing for a second. It was the same earth magic they’d seen him use many times: splitting entire sports fields or…reducing a man to dust in seconds.

They swallowed. “Yes, uh-I need a trench around these bushes. About two feet deep.”

Leona nodded. Then, with a soft grumble and sweep of his hand, the ground cracked and parted. The loose dirt shifted effortlessly like silk being pulled away from skin. It danced to his will, calculated and precise, like the man controlling it. Nothing like the chaos they remembered from his overblot all those years ago, when that same talent had been a brutal storm.

Yuu couldn’t help it, their hands froze over their scanner, eyes fixed not on the newly made trench, but on him as they stepped back from the crack in the ground.

He noticed. “You’re afraid of me,” he said, not accusing. Not even surprised.

“Just being cautious, My King.” They replied, fast, a bit too fast.

He stood slowly, clapping his palms of sand even though they were spotless. “Same thing.”

“N-no.” They straightened, gripping their datapad with white-knuckles. “It’s…not.”

Leona looked at them, and for once, his gaze wasn’t severe; it was tired. Heavy in a way that almost made their chest ache. He sighed. “There ya go…Doctor.” He said, putting an uncomfortable emphasis on their title. Tucking his hands behind his back as he stepped away, he plastered on the most unconvincing smile Yuu had ever seen.

“Thank you…Your Highness.” They mumbled, echoing his cadence before kneeling back near the new trench. Meanwhile, the sensors continued buzzing in their hands. “Strange, the deeper layers are reacting to something… It’s shifting something upward. Like the soil’s been…disturbed recently.” They dug, a bit of dirt collecting under their nails.

The pad beeped again, it was sharper this time. Yuu leaned forward, brushing away the topmost grains of sand with a few fingers. Beneath the dirt, something caught the light, faint, reflective. “Your Highness,” they called, “There’s something here-.”

“I know.” He grumbled. “I can smell it.” He moved beside them again, silent as a shadow. In an instant, he was kneeling beside them, hovering his hands over theirs.

They swallowed. Yuu could feel it, the way his magic caressed their palm, tugging subtly at the edges of the sand beneath their fingers, and making the hair on their arms stand on end. He was making it easier for them, softening the dirt for them to sift through faster.

What emerged wasn’t just rock.

“Is that?”

He tsked. “A magestone.”

“There’s…a lot.” They gasped.

Magestones were not their specialty, but they’d lived in this world long enough to know they were rare. Too rare. And loose? They’d never heard of them being mined in the Sunset Savanna. A gem known for holding and focusing magical energy… Yuu craned their head to look at him. “I didn’t know magestones were mined in this area of the world.”

Leona didn’t answer immediately. He pressed his palm to the earth near the cluster as if he could feel the pull. “Dammit.” The sand around Yuu’s fingers trembled briefly, reacting to him. “No,” he said finally. “But, someone’s buried them here.”

Their breath caught, mind spinning. “Why?”

Leona rose, brushing sand from his knees. His eyes were sharper now, no longer just watching them, but the horizon too. “If someone’s stockpiling magestones here,” he said slowly, “They’re not interested in healing the soil.”

Then it clicked, Yuu stared down at the pile of glimmering stones, their raw crystalline edges catching the sun. And for the first time since they stepped onto the ridge, they weren’t thinking about his magic. Or how close he stood to them. This seemed bigger.

Who had the motive to bury something this valuable in the middle of a dying ecosystem…and why?

Leona turned to them. “Document everythin’. Quietly. Don’t report it to the council yet.”

Their brow furrowed. “But if this is a threat to-”

“I said not yet.” He hissed, his nostrils flaring slightly with a barely contained frustration. His voice was sharp, but not cruel. They understood his frustration was not directed at them.

Yuu nodded slowly, swallowing questions they weren’t ready to ask him yet. Was someone staging a coup? One of the rebel groups? Or someone on the council? It was clear Leona didn't trust any of them, and neither did they put much stock in their king. Especially now after his stunt with Griza.

The wind picked up again, the yellow blooms around them bent low to the ground, as if they knew something was coming.

Documenting the coordinates of the location in silence, Yuu managed to keep their hands steady despite the tremble they could feel somewhere deeper, caged inside their ribs.

Meanwhile, Leona stood behind them like a statue, back to theirs. They glanced back to see the outline of his silhouette gilded in the morning light, unmoving.

“I’ll log the data,” Yuu started, voice soft, almost getting lost in the wind. “Leaving out the obvious, of course-”

“Good,” Leona replied. And there was a short beat of silence. “I…trust ya.”

Yuu paused at that, letting out a breath before turning off the display of their data pad. As they stared down at their reflection in the dark screen, they couldn’t help but notice how quiet his words were… so unadorned, casual. But the words made their heart flutter anyways.

I trust ya.

Yuu wondered if he knew what that meant to hear aloud, after everything. After all these years.

Sliding the datapad into their satchel, they stood slowly, brushing their fingers clean. The trench Leona created remained open beside them, like a gaping wound in the earth. “What… happens now?”

Leona’s gaze didn’t waver. “Now? We keep it between us. For now.”

Yuu turned to face him. The sun hung low, casting gold over his cheekbones and curling in the dark strands of his hair. It should’ve softened him. It didn’t. But something else did. His expression wasn’t stoic or commanding. Just...searching. Leona usually wasn’t one to mince words but…did he really trust them?

They swallowed under his gaze, as the reality settled upon them: they were in the middle of nowhere with a powerful man- no a King, capable of casual murder. And they were letting an old school crush cloud their vision. They should have been furious with themselves.

“You’re…afraid I’ll report it,” They confessed, not as a question.

“No, Doctor. I’m afraid…you’ll get hurt if you do, that you don’t understand the consequences,” he replied.

That stopped their breath, just for a second. He was afraid for them?

“You think someone would try to…silence me?”

“I tend to work on absolutes, Doctor. Things I know,” he said carefully, “And I know that someone took a whole lotta’ effort to bury these stones. I know there are only a few uses for a country to stock this many unregistered magestones. Especially ones that the King of that country isn’t privy to.” He scowled.

“We don’t know who’s behind this… However, I know, currently, I don’t hold the council's favor. And I… being the one that hired you,” His arm reached out, a single claw tracing their scalp like before in the car. “Well, that makes us… affiliated.” His eyes dropped, tracing their face. “Don’t it?”

Heat worked its way up the back of their neck, though not from the sun this time.

Leona shot them a crooked smile, clearly amused by his effect on their expression. He dropped his hand from them, face growing stern once more. “If someone on the council is involved, I have my ways to draw them out. ‘Til then-”

Before they had time to process further, Leona stepped closer, slow, deliberate. His presence wasn’t something they could escape, not with distance, not with logic. Not anymore.

“We’re in cahoots,” A pause. “Doctor,”

They let out a choked sound. An hour ago, they wanted to avoid him for the sake of the past, but now it was possible they needed him, for all things…protection? They wanted to scream, stomp their feet in the dirt like a child. Curse themselves for accepting his invitation for this damn job in the first place. But, all Yuu managed was a pathetic response. “But-you…you’re in danger too.”

Leona’s dark lids dipped low over the cat-like pupils of his green irises. They were close enough to his face now to see them double in size. Had they pleased him so much? “Mmm, your concern is precious as always. But, do ya really think this is the first time the council has schemed to get ridda’ me?”

The wind kicked up dust again, spiraling around both their sandals. Somewhere above the stillness, a few vultures cried overhead.

Yuu exhaled, at a loss, shaking their head slowly as the weight of it all pressed onto them. They could only imagine what it must have been like…to keep one eye open at all times, to constantly look over your shoulder, to have no one to truly watch your back. “No, no, but I sincerely hope...that this is not the case, Your Highness.”

He just laughed, well, more like chuffed. --

The sun had dipped in the sky by the time they left the ridge, Leona making sure to leave the dirt packed exactly as it was before they came.

Inside the limo, the air was quieter than before, but strangely less tense. Yuu sat beside their King, satchel clutched to their chest, datapad encrypted and safely tucked away. Their eyes drifted to the window as the busy streets of an outlying city sped past.

Leona hadn’t spoken since they left the site. Neither had they. But, this silence felt less awkward and more like something…shared, the new secrets held between them. There was an understanding of survival. Somehow, it was easier to coexist with him now, to reach his gaze.

They opened their mouth to speak.

Until the driver stopped.

Yuu slid forward, brows knitting, nearly dropping their bag. Their stomach churned uneasily at the King’s reaction. “W-why are we stopping?”

Leona had already straightened beside them, his brown ears flicked forward. “Something’s wrong.”

They had stopped at a bend in a dirt road, as a crowd began surrounding the car.

A blockade?

Dozens of them. Faces masked, signs raised, some glowing with enchanted script. Yuu couldn’t read them from this distance, but the tone was unmistakable. “Protesters?” They asked, already reaching for the door controls.

“No, these aren't protesters, they're...ex-guards,” Leona said grimly, a pained familiarity rushing past his gaze.

Yuu had heard that the prior palace guard had all quit shortly after Farlena’s death, refusing to serve the new King. Rumors had ravaged the capital that he was responsible for his brother’s death, and the whole family. Yuu had never really put stock in it. Sure, he was a different man now, but murder his own family?

Shouts rang out as heavy rocks began hitting the vehicle. There was the familiar glow of magic, then a crack in the window near their head. Yuu’s breath stopped, biting back a yelp.

They even jumped at the whirl of the limo's partition sliding down. Then the driver’s voice came through, tight with panic: “Your Highness, we’re surrounded and someone’s jammed the car's radio signal. I can’t call for backup.”

“Stay inside,” Leona ordered, already moving, his hand wrapped around the door handle.

“Wait, Le-”

But he was already out the door.

They watched from inside. The moment his feet hit the ground, the sand answered.

A jagged wall surged up from the road in front of the limo, cutting off the nearest rebels. Not harming, yet, but enough to stagger the front line back. Enough to say: ‘Back off.’

Through the tinted glass, they saw him standing at the center of it, eyes sharp, tunic whipping around him.

When the dust rose, it was getting hard to see him in the chaos. There came an odd hush over the crowd. Then a blinding light. Someone hurled a small explosive, and judging by the flashing of prismatic colors, it was magic-laced.

It must have struck somewhere near the back wheel, because the shockwave knocked the limo sideways.

“Ah!”

Yuu’s shoulder slammed hard into the cracked window, the dust causing their eyes to water. Their satchel spilled from their lap. It all seemed to happen in a heartbeat, but they were unsure if they had lost consciousness or not. Pain had zipped up their arm as they palmed near their feet for the datapad, all the ringing in their ears was so shrill they thought they might be bleeding. As they slipped the object back in their bag, a lioness crept beside the sunroof to peer in at them. Her wide eyes softened at the sight of them, lying there. “There’s someone else in the car!” Just like that, she was gone into the cloud of dust that surrounded the car.

When the other door, now above their head, burst open, their breath caught, expecting a stranger's face.

But it was Leona. He was dust-covered too, wild-eyed, furious, but he was okay.

They didn’t have time to sigh in relief, he was already reaching inside the cab and pulling them out with both arms, “Are ya hurt?”

Yuu blinked, still dazed by the bomb, they found their hands on his shoulders as he maneuvered them around the flipped vehicle. “What n-no, I-”

Another blast went off nearby, causing them to jump into the cage of his arms. He cursed low, pressing himself against them, against the limo, his body a shield between them and the attack.

His palms were on either side of their face now, his gaze seeming to scan them for injuries.

“I-I have the datapad I-” Yuu’s fingers gripped his shoulders as if to reassure him of their well-being, the heat of his body soaking into theirs. “I-I’m okay. My ankle got caught under the seat, and my arm-” They grit their teeth, “...just some scratches.” They glanced down at their left arm, it had taken most of the impact when the car flipped.

“Don’t cha’ lie to me.” He breathed back, pressing himself harder against them, a section of his dark hair shifting over his shoulder. It should have hurt, but instead, they felt relieved to be at the center of his focus for once.

Maybe it was how hard they hit their head, but they actually laughed in the King’s face, his expression more resembling a worried puppy than any sort of intimidating figure. “I would be better…if my King wasn’t pressing all his weight onto me,” they said, teeth gritted.

Leona’s own laugh was brief, ragged, and almost a growl. There was a manic levity to the sound, as if the sight of them being here to scold him relieved him. He backed off of them some, his fingertips still touching the frame around them to keep them near.

“Jus’ focus on me-.” He mused, then his sand moved again. It spiked in uniform arcs around them, curling like protective serpents, walling them both in until it was only them. Everything else fell away, and the outside was silenced besides their tandem breathing. Their heart thundered as they felt the thrum of his magic pulsing through the earth beneath their sandals, through their body from his.

He wasn’t just guarding; he was focusing only on Yuu.

Safely encased from the chaos, the ground cracked before them, just feet from where they stood against the limo. A tunnel? Stairs and all? Smart. But, they expected nothing less of him.

“Follow, n’ lean on me, that ankle is worse than you’re actin’.” he said, so quietly Yuu barely heard it over the wind.

All they could do was nod when the thought struck them: “Wait…Where’s the driver?” --

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