Prince Kurapika and Sir Leorio [Leopika Royalty AU]

[2] Simple Pleasures

This chapter is greatly inspired by the Leopika royalty AU on tiktok by @/Cactopedias! Please go check them out because their royalty au gives me so much serotonin hhshdhshshs

Sunlight peeked over the horizon, a gentle, scarlet glow covering the hills, trees and streams of the land. A warm glow, one that causes fluttering and admiration of earth's beauty upon its sight. Truly a sight to behold on an early morning summers' day, from one of the highest windows in the Kurta Kingdom's Palace.

Leorio's quarters - cozy, in all honesty, not the most 'royal', but not a room that teemed head to toe with that of a home from the normal Kurta Kingdom. It was mostly like them, sure, but it wasn't a perfect picture. It was more homelike, with parts obviously of high quality since it was a palace room- Leorio actually wondered whether Kurapika had made his personal guards' quarters to be familiar to that of someone who lived in the Kurta Kingdom, so that they'd feel more at home in the palace.

What possessions Leorio had had been stacked on his desk and shelves. All of the wooden furniture in the room was of the same wood, dark oak, with white decorations, gold trimmings and red gems to keep up the colour coordination of the palace. The red gems bedazzled upon the furniture and wall tops and skirting boards always glistened gently from the sunlight dripping through the large window. It was something in particular about that glow that Leorio found beautiful.

An armourstand in the corner of the room donned his full armour. He didn't usually wear this, he normally just wore the normal private guard outfit. Being the private guard meant you were of the highest honour.. you could command the rest of the guards within the palace! Even the captains and generals in the Kurta army! It was a position of utmost respect, the only figure above this role being the Prince, Kurapika, himself.

The silk and cotton outfit was folded neatly, ironed, and with a slight scent of lavender. It lay upon the pristine bedsheets in a perfect fold square, and his ruby brooches for the jacket were on his deskside. The gold chain connecting the brooches delicately swinging as they were lifted, or swayed in a breeze. On top of that, cuffs for the sleeves also contained rubies, keeping with the trend of red gemstones imprinted into the required jewellery and fabric.

Does the Prince dress like this daily? Leorio wondered, it would be odd of it to be so, especially considering the lack of public appearances the Prince makes. I mean, before yesterday, Leorio didn't even know what the prince looked like! Kurapika hadn't shown his face to the public in years, his appearance only being documented when he was young. Since Kurapika is now 19, obviously his appearance had to have changed dramatically since his last portrait painting, which from what Leorio knew, the last time Kurapika had one was when he was younger than 10, in a portrait starring his parents alongside their only son.

During his guard training, Leorio had seen the portrait. It was practically worshipped among his superiors, those of which were captains, generals and tutors, loyal to the royal family. Upon the passing of the king and queen, a black silk fabric was drawn over the painting, and from then on, it was barely mentioned, and just hung on the wall of the cadet guards' training quarters, collecting dust.

It was funny, in a way, when he looked back at this memory he remembered feeling odd at the fact that they didn't part that fabric so their son could be seen, after all, he was still among the living, why cover him along with his parents? It seemed a bit disrespectful, but maybe Leorio was just looking a bit too far into it.

7am. Shift starts. Put on the outfit, the brooches, the cuffs. Tie the belt around your waist and clip on the sheath, sheath the sword- and don't forget to make sure your shoes are tight on your feet, Leorio. God only knows that time they were loose and you fell in front of all your fellow cadet soldiers...