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Leona Kingscholar is many things, solitary is one of the many.
'Second', 'scary', and 'alone' come next to the long line of insults one may call him. Does he care? Deep down he wishes he did, but he couldn't bring himself to care as of late.
Meals are troublesome, getting up is troublesome, doing homework is troublesome. The only thing that brought him some semblance of fun was Spelldrive.
Even that was ruined. He knew that cheating and making Ruggie use Laugh With Me to such a far extent was bound to pool blot, and he knew that directing the blot towards him was dumb. But he needed this plan to work.
Then that pesky Ramshackle prefect-
"Mister Kingscholar, if napping is what you want to do in my class, please make yourself comfortable for a bad grade." Crewel cleared his throat as Leona opened his eyes lazily. Mind as well.
Nobody wanted to talk to Leona, everyone viewed him as a troublesome prince now. he could still hear their whispers. 'His magic is scary'. Duh. he turns people to sand.
Leona sat in the darkness of his dorm room, staring at the blank sheet of paper. he holds his pen shakily as he began writing.
it was kinder for them to learn how he truly felt from paper than his own voice. He would deliver it wrongly, they would take it wrongly again. Just like everyone in the castle did. Just like his own brother did-
It would be kinder for Cheka, it was kinder for Epel. The boy had talent. He had potential to be a good captain. If Vil hadn't sunk his claws too deep in the kid. Maybe in a different world, he would be kind enough to let himself try and understand Vil.
But he can't give himself more time to hurt others.
To all who are reading this, I have cut my time short.
"Leona! Wake up!" Leona hears the door banging, and only one person is still gutsy enough to do that, money involved or not.
Leona did not move to the door and just watch as the hyena make his way inside. Leona didnt put it past Ruggie to pick the lock, but he noticed the hyena having a key inside. Huh, guess he didnt guess that.
The hyena just moved along, picking up the laundry strewn on the ground, making no move to wake the sleeping lion, not like he is actually sleeping. He picks every single piece of clothing, bending down gently and placing them into the basket he holds in one arm. leona just shifted his head to watch the hyena pick them up one by one.
Yes, they are on break now. Yes, Ruggie is free to wear whatever he wants. But when Leona sees the bandages peeking out from under Ruggie's sleeve of from the scarf around his neck, he feels guilt. It pools in his stomach and claws its way up to his mouth. Trapped in his mouth and forced back to his heart. His fingers curl up in shame, and he remembers these exacts hands harming those around him. Those who supported him. Those who did nothing but aid him. He hurt them.
He hurt Ruggie, and Ruggie is still chooses to come here and clean. To work. He knows Ruggie doesnt have a choice.
Ruggie needs to money to provide for his family. The family back in the slums that his brother will never glance at. They need a king, but who is Leona to claim as King? He was the second to the throne, proven point again and again.
It would have been better for everyone if he had disappeared, if he had let the blot consume him whole, to let him die. If he had disappeared for good, then Ruggie would have been able to spend his time doing other things. Falena wouldnt need to think about his brother, the one who didnt put in effort-
"Do you want to kill yourself?" Ruggie suddenly asked. Leona's train of thought is cut off, he blinks, ears flicking to where the hyena was now. By the balcony, putting clothes on the small hanging area.
His hands worked deflty against the fabric, putting the dry ones in a pile as he started hanging the washed ones quietly.
Coming from anyone, from him, from anyone, the question sounds unreal. It felt like a dream that Leona would have despised.
"I don't want you do that," he hangs the last piece of clothing, and turns to the prince, eyes impassive. "I can't let you do that." he then dumps the warm laundry onto Leona.
Its just warm laundry.
Then why does he… Leona covered his face as Ruggie picks up another basket.
Its warm. Like a hug. A hug that Leona always wanted. He needed it. He remembers asking his father for a hug but his father would reluctantly decline, looking at Leona's hands. He never got a proper hug but the warm laundry felt like-
"You can't leave me here alone," Ruggie picks up Leona's hand, eyes now tearing up, face scrunched up.
Leona turns to where Ruggie held the same hand that tried to turn him into sand. With the one bandaged, and he notices in the other hand, he had the letter that Leona wrote. Ruggie had read every word and knew from that moment, that Leona had planned his way out.
Looking at Ruggie's face, melting as he holds back tears, clutching onto letter like it was the last thing he might ever hold of Leona, the last memory of the prince left to a self degrading letter.
"I'm sorry," Leona choked, the words stuck in his throat.
"I'm sorry," he sat up as he tried to pull his hand away from Ruggie, but the hyena didnt let go, instead, had hugged the prince so tightly, burrying his face into the princes neck, sobbing silently.
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I'm so so sorry-" Leona teared up as he repeated the apology.
Ruggie stared at the piece of paper in his hands, eyes squinting to hold back tears and to read each line. He found the envelope lying on Leona's table, thinking it was his pay once again.
Stupid Leona. Stupid lion. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
To all who are reading this, I have cut my time short.
I have come to terms on what I am and what I have done, and I can never be forgiven for it.
I've hurt you all, and I don't know if I can guarantee I won't hurt you again. I hurt you, Ruggie. When all you have done was follow me. You followed my every order and command and all I've done was hurt you in return.
I want to be king, but what kind of king hurts his own people? The people in his circle? The ones who gave them his trust? What kind of king does that?
An usurper of the most disgusting pits does. I am no king, and I never will. I'm always late. I will never be first for anything. Second for all that is to come, and for once, and for this one chance, you will all be a second too late.
I will be first. I will finally be the first.
I am sorry if my death causes you grief, do not grief me. Never grief me.
With regards,
Leona Kingscholar
'How dare that asshole be first.' Ruggie thought as he stormed to Leona's dorm. His hand hovering above the handle.
'Sorry Leona, I can't afford to be a second too late.'