“Marco,” said Nicolò, stopping dead in the middle of the marketplace. If he had been in the busiest one, down by the docks, he would immediately have had five people walk into him, newly-wed prince or no; since Yusuf and he were escorting Yusuf’s sister Noor, it was the marketplace in the royal quarter of the city, and there was a great deal more space.
“Nicolò?” Yusuf prompted him, when he said nothing more. As a statement, it hadn’t made a lot of sense.
Nicolò shook his head, and said in his native Ligurian “I – I thought I saw my brother Marco.” He shook his head again, and switched to Arabic. “But that can’t be right.”
“We would have had word if your father had sent a ship, surely,” said Yusuf.
“Surely,” Nicolò agreed, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. The ship that had brought Nicolò and his party to Yusuf’s Great Feast had gone back to Genova bearing the glad tidings that the Comte’s youngest son’s proposal had been accepted. No letter had yet returned. Yusuf’s mother had said to give it time.
“Is your sister buying a knife?” were the next words out of Nicolò’s mouth; Yusuf observed that one of his sister’s ladies was indeed taking possession of a very fine dagger. He got over there so fast that the two guards with them, who had been chatting between themselves, not concerned about his or his sister’s safety in the heart of their own city, were nearly left behind.
“Is that a present for someone?” Yusuf asked his sister.
“No, it’s for me,” Noor said. “Quynh said I needed more knives, especially since my brother had made such a -” She broke off, evidently remembering they were in public. “Such an unusual choice of husband.”
“Unusual, you are very kind,” said Nicolò, who had not missed that. Noor grinned shyly at him.
“When were you talking to Princess Quynh?” Yusuf asked, as they moved away.
“When I was helping her to, ah, prepare to leave,” said Noor. “After the feast. Mother told me I should show her the back way out to the stables.”
“How do you know the back way out to the stables?”
“I followed you when we were younger, of course.” Noor scowled at Yusuf. “And stop planning to take my nice new dagger away; your quarters are practically an armory.”
“I know how to use everything in my quarters,” said Yusuf.
“Nicolò’s going to give me lessons,” said Noor.
“I did say I would,” agreed Nicolò, not even a little bit apologetically.
“You can’t be alone with my sister, that would be entirely inappropriate,” said Yusuf. “I suppose I shall just have to help.”
“We never get to be alone, Yusuf,” his sister pointed out. “Our mother is the queen. Nobody is allowed to breathe inappropriately around me.”
“I suppose I shall just have to help anyway, to make sure you learn how to use it properly,” said Yusuf. Nicolò laughed.
SEQUEL FILL: Joe/Nicky, The Prince Is Getting Married, Royalty AU [1/?]
“Marco,” said Nicolò, stopping dead in the middle of the marketplace. If he had been in the busiest one, down by the docks, he would immediately have had five people walk into him, newly-wed prince or no; since Yusuf and he were escorting Yusuf’s sister Noor, it was the marketplace in the royal quarter of the city, and there was a great deal more space.
“Nicolò?” Yusuf prompted him, when he said nothing more. As a statement, it hadn’t made a lot of sense.
Nicolò shook his head, and said in his native Ligurian “I – I thought I saw my brother Marco.” He shook his head again, and switched to Arabic. “But that can’t be right.”
“We would have had word if your father had sent a ship, surely,” said Yusuf.
“Surely,” Nicolò agreed, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. The ship that had brought Nicolò and his party to Yusuf’s Great Feast had gone back to Genova bearing the glad tidings that the Comte’s youngest son’s proposal had been accepted. No letter had yet returned. Yusuf’s mother had said to give it time.
“Is your sister buying a knife?” were the next words out of Nicolò’s mouth; Yusuf observed that one of his sister’s ladies was indeed taking possession of a very fine dagger. He got over there so fast that the two guards with them, who had been chatting between themselves, not concerned about his or his sister’s safety in the heart of their own city, were nearly left behind.
“Is that a present for someone?” Yusuf asked his sister.
“No, it’s for me,” Noor said. “Quynh said I needed more knives, especially since my brother had made such a -” She broke off, evidently remembering they were in public. “Such an unusual choice of husband.”
“Unusual, you are very kind,” said Nicolò, who had not missed that. Noor grinned shyly at him.
“When were you talking to Princess Quynh?” Yusuf asked, as they moved away.
“When I was helping her to, ah, prepare to leave,” said Noor. “After the feast. Mother told me I should show her the back way out to the stables.”
“How do you know the back way out to the stables?”
“I followed you when we were younger, of course.” Noor scowled at Yusuf. “And stop planning to take my nice new dagger away; your quarters are practically an armory.”
“I know how to use everything in my quarters,” said Yusuf.
“Nicolò’s going to give me lessons,” said Noor.
“I did say I would,” agreed Nicolò, not even a little bit apologetically.
“You can’t be alone with my sister, that would be entirely inappropriate,” said Yusuf. “I suppose I shall just have to help.”
“We never get to be alone, Yusuf,” his sister pointed out. “Our mother is the queen. Nobody is allowed to breathe inappropriately around me.”
“I suppose I shall just have to help anyway, to make sure you learn how to use it properly,” said Yusuf. Nicolò laughed.