Prince Kurapika and Sir Leorio [Leopika Royalty AU]

[1] Knighting of Sir Leorio

"Leorioooooo!" A loud, young, joyful cry of the small boy bounded throughout the coridoor like a stampede; and he and his curly white-haired friend might aswell have been a stampede - considering the loud ringing of the bells on their jester-outfits and the pounding of their excited feet along the velvet, gold laced carpet.

Leorio, the man in question, was actually a boy of late teens - his hair slightly curly, but stood up without fringe or bangs. Slight sideburns that he refused to shave, and quite a tall stature, atleast 6"4. Intimidating when he acted like it, if you will- but otherwise, he could have passed as a jester, and been pretty good at the job at that.

Yet despite him being considered good-looking, right now, his face was the absolute image of nerves. Quivering lip, biting nails, shaky fingers and glinting sunglasses. The sudden yell of the young jester didn't really help calm his edge.

As soon as he heard that yell, however, he turned around in his scarlet, cotton outfit, and opened up his arms to catch the young jesters as they bounded towards him. With a stroke of luck, he caught them in his arms, managing to hold his own and not fall flat on his back, narrowly avoiding the possibility of dirtying his knighting outfit.

Leorio swung the two around before placing them down gently on their own feet on the carpet.
"Gon! Killua- you two should be in the Prince's room right now!" Before the knighting of his new private guard, he'd need some cheering up- the recent passing of his family had brought the prince nothing but solitude and isolation.
"Don't nag us, old man! We just got out. His butlers are getting his Highness ready now."
"Hey! Watch that tone, mister. He is the prince, you know.." The reality of the situation just seemed to set in a bit more. "And I'm- I'm his royal guard.. his private guard, at that. Oh. Oh-"
"Leorio!" A large, cheesy grin from ear to ear spread across Gon's face. "You're gonna do great! If it helps, the prince isn't all that strict.."
"Not all that strict, huh.." Leorio squinted his eyes as his brows furrowed in doubt.. he was truly terrified! What if he doesn't take a liking to him? What if he gets sentenced to death at the slightest fault!? All of this anxiety built up, and up, and up, and Leorio could just feel his face reddening with the pure stress.

"Leorio! Hey.. Leorio!"
"Old man!"
Leorio couldn't hear. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts.
"Oh, Gon, would you look at that! A beautiful woman! And oh, she's single!" Killua rolled his eyes and yelled, hands cupped around his mouth.
"Huh? Wha?" Leorio came to his senses, to the sound of the snickers of Gon and Killua, and a small 'knew that'd work!'.

Leorio managed to compose slightly. Whatever happens, happens. Right? Nothing he can do about fate, after all. The prince is going through some stuff, if push comes to shove and he gets some bad experiences out of his life-long sworn dedication to the prince, at the very least he can say he tried his best and was loyal to the end for the sake of the royals. After all, it's what the Prince's parents would have wanted.. for their son to be safe.

[Churchbells begin to toll]

Leorio recognised the sound from the rehearsals.. No way, he couldn't be late to the knighting! Surely not- Gon and Killua had held him up! The little brats.. and yet, they ran right alongside him all the way to the Great Hall as soon as they also realised the time; unfortunate, to say the least. To think that messing up would be what he worried over so much, and here Leorio was now! Late to his first impression with the Prince!

"Leorio!" A small cloaked figure tappered over to him with tiny clonking footsteps, "Don't worry, the prince isn't even here yet. It's not time to be called up." The large flute in her hands was triple- No- quadruple her very height. How she could so much as carry it without knocking over every priceless ornament in the palace bewildered Leorio still, even after knowing Melody since he became a cadet as an early teen. Still, Melody had remained as the royal Kurta family's favourite bard ever since Melody herself was a young prodigy.
"Ah-! Melody, god, I can't thank you enough! I was so worried I'd be late." "No worries here, Leorio, you're alright, but hurry! Get yourself ready to walk down the aisle when the prince is ready!"