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stickmarionette softly whispered "Iker/Xavi royalty AU" in my ear: results continue to be unsurprising, but usually I'm the one enabling other people, dammit. hoist on my own petard! for those following along at home:
Xavi says good-bye to Andres (by me), Pep talks with/pervs on Raul (bystickmarionette), Xavi has a dramatic exchange with Hierro (by me), the Beckhams are introduced and Iker finally shows up (by me), a wild Leo appears, bearing political intrigue (by stickmarionette), and...
The journey from Catalunya to Madrid was not long as such things went, and Xavi enjoyed Raul's company; it was easy to see what Pep saw in him. He was mortified to realize, however, that as the great walled city rose in the distance he was growing nearly sick with nerves. Raul reined his horse in beside him and patted his shoulder with humiliating gentleness. "Shall we stop at an inn for lunch?" he suggested. "The White Hind is a favorite of mine, and I suspect that in the fuss when we arrive at the palace we may not have a chance to eat."
"Certainly," Xavi said, grateful both for Raul's graciousness and the chance to put off his descent into the snakepit for even an hour more. A single gesture from Raul was enough to alert the guards of their changed plans and direct them down a side road; Xavi had the impression that they had been expecting it.
The inn was small but ruthlessly clean, and Xavi was surprised to note that there were two very fine horses standing in the yard already, although the hour was late for departing travelers and early for the midday meal. Raul's face brightened at the sight of them, and he slid to the ground as soon as his horse came to a stop. "Ho, the inn!" he called.
There was a pause, and then a cry of "Raul!" came from the doorway as a figure in plain brown clothing flung itself forward at the prince. A second man followed more slowly in his wake, lingering to observe and smile at Raul and Xavi's future husband.
"I see you've scarcely missed me at all, little brother," Raul said, in too fond a tone for his irony to have any bite. "Have you been waiting here since I left for Catalunya?"
"Mori said you would come today," Iker said, "and you always stop at the Hind before you come up to the palace. Give me a little credit, brother."
Raul appeared to be only half-listening at best; he was looking not at Iker but at the other man. He could only be the mysterious Viscount Morientes, who appeared periodically in the scanty reports Pep received on the Madrid court. The soft look on the man's face and the answering smile on Raul's had already told Xavi more than all Pep's carefully gathered information combined.
"You might help your fiancé down from his horse, Prince Iker," Morientes said dryly, breaking the tableau. Xavi flushed and quickly dismounted before Iker could offer him assistance which he neither wanted not required, nearly bumping heads with his husband-to-be as he rushed to his side.
"I'm so sorry, your highness, I didn't mean to ignore you, please forgive -- "
"Iker," Xavi interrupted, before he could babble himself into red-faced oblivion. "I recall our being better friends than that. If you are calling me 'highness' it's been far too long."
He held out both hands for Iker to take, and was slightly surprised when Iker went him one further and also leaned down to kiss his cheeks. "Far too long," Iker confirmed, his flush fading. He had lost most of the roundness in his cheeks since Xavi had seen him last, although lingering traces of baby fat remained. He had shot up in height, too; he'd always threatened to outgrow Xavi, but now he was a full hand's breadth taller.
A loud, pointed cough reminded then both of their surroundings. "I welcome you to Madrid," Iker said, the twinkle in his eyes belying his formality. "My home is your home, my people your people. I hope you will be happy here." The last sentence was a deviation from ritual, but Xavi appreciated the sentiment all the more.
"I thank you for your welcome," he said. "Your blood will be my family; where you abide, there shall I abide. And I hope I will too." He smiled, and was pleased to see an answering smile on Iker's face.
"If that's all taken care of, our lunch is growing cold," Morientes said. Raul laughed and obligingly led the way inside. Xavi knocked into Iker's side as they followed along together, his earlier nervousness forgotten.
stickmarionette softly whispered "Iker/Xavi royalty AU" in my ear: results continue to be unsurprising, but usually I'm the one enabling other people, dammit. hoist on my own petard! for those following along at home: Xavi says good-bye to Andres (by me), Pep talks with/pervs on Raul (by
stickmarionette), Xavi has a dramatic exchange with Hierro (by me), the Beckhams are introduced and Iker finally shows up (by me), a wild Leo appears, bearing political intrigue (by stickmarionette), and...The journey from Catalunya to Madrid was not long as such things went, and Xavi enjoyed Raul's company; it was easy to see what Pep saw in him. He was mortified to realize, however, that as the great walled city rose in the distance he was growing nearly sick with nerves. Raul reined his horse in beside him and patted his shoulder with humiliating gentleness. "Shall we stop at an inn for lunch?" he suggested. "The White Hind is a favorite of mine, and I suspect that in the fuss when we arrive at the palace we may not have a chance to eat."
"Certainly," Xavi said, grateful both for Raul's graciousness and the chance to put off his descent into the snakepit for even an hour more. A single gesture from Raul was enough to alert the guards of their changed plans and direct them down a side road; Xavi had the impression that they had been expecting it.
The inn was small but ruthlessly clean, and Xavi was surprised to note that there were two very fine horses standing in the yard already, although the hour was late for departing travelers and early for the midday meal. Raul's face brightened at the sight of them, and he slid to the ground as soon as his horse came to a stop. "Ho, the inn!" he called.
There was a pause, and then a cry of "Raul!" came from the doorway as a figure in plain brown clothing flung itself forward at the prince. A second man followed more slowly in his wake, lingering to observe and smile at Raul and Xavi's future husband.
"I see you've scarcely missed me at all, little brother," Raul said, in too fond a tone for his irony to have any bite. "Have you been waiting here since I left for Catalunya?"
"Mori said you would come today," Iker said, "and you always stop at the Hind before you come up to the palace. Give me a little credit, brother."
Raul appeared to be only half-listening at best; he was looking not at Iker but at the other man. He could only be the mysterious Viscount Morientes, who appeared periodically in the scanty reports Pep received on the Madrid court. The soft look on the man's face and the answering smile on Raul's had already told Xavi more than all Pep's carefully gathered information combined.
"You might help your fiancé down from his horse, Prince Iker," Morientes said dryly, breaking the tableau. Xavi flushed and quickly dismounted before Iker could offer him assistance which he neither wanted not required, nearly bumping heads with his husband-to-be as he rushed to his side.
"I'm so sorry, your highness, I didn't mean to ignore you, please forgive -- "
"Iker," Xavi interrupted, before he could babble himself into red-faced oblivion. "I recall our being better friends than that. If you are calling me 'highness' it's been far too long."
He held out both hands for Iker to take, and was slightly surprised when Iker went him one further and also leaned down to kiss his cheeks. "Far too long," Iker confirmed, his flush fading. He had lost most of the roundness in his cheeks since Xavi had seen him last, although lingering traces of baby fat remained. He had shot up in height, too; he'd always threatened to outgrow Xavi, but now he was a full hand's breadth taller.
A loud, pointed cough reminded then both of their surroundings. "I welcome you to Madrid," Iker said, the twinkle in his eyes belying his formality. "My home is your home, my people your people. I hope you will be happy here." The last sentence was a deviation from ritual, but Xavi appreciated the sentiment all the more.
"I thank you for your welcome," he said. "Your blood will be my family; where you abide, there shall I abide. And I hope I will too." He smiled, and was pleased to see an answering smile on Iker's face.
"If that's all taken care of, our lunch is growing cold," Morientes said. Raul laughed and obligingly led the way inside. Xavi knocked into Iker's side as they followed along together, his earlier nervousness forgotten.
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no subject
Date: 2012-11-14 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-16 12:47 am (UTC)Hierro, current king of Madrid, is the much younger brother of the previous king, Del Bosque. Del Bosque had three sons (Raul, Iker and Sergio, in that order), but because of ~intrigue at the court Hierro wound up inheriting the throne when his brother died. (much to his dismay, since he'd been hoping to run off and marry Pep once Raul was settled in.) because Hierro has no children, his heir is his oldest nephew, Raul. Mori is unrelated except for being Raul's boyfriend.
Cruyff, the current king of Catalunya, also has three sons: Pep, Xavi and Andres. (Pep might be the child of a different wife, I hadn't really given it much thought. there's a nine year age gap between him and Xavi.) Victor and Leo are servants. and I think that's everybody who's been introduced so far?
...I SWEAR IT SOUNDS MUCH LESS COMPLICATED IN MY HEAD. XD