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theoldguardkinkmeme) wrote2020-07-22 10:07 am
theoldguardkinkmeme) wrote2020-07-22 10:07 am
Fills Post
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FILL: Yusuf/Nicolo - arranged marriage with a twist (3/?)
(Anonymous) 2020-10-23 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)He dines with the duke at a table which is much too large for two people. They are seated stiffly in upright chairs. Yusuf knows how to use the cutlery, had in fact practiced in preparation for this marriage, but it does not come naturally. The food is all strange in a time when he badly wants something comforting and familiar. They exchange perhaps five sentences with each other, which are all stilted and do not cover any topic more controversial than the weather.
“I hope you will not be uncomfortable during your stay with us,” is the last thing the duke says to him that evening.
“I hope so too,” says Yusuf, which is less than gracious, but again: he does not know what else to say.
*
Yusuf had come prepared to be left to his own devices; that, at least, is not a great problem. However, he had also expected a full court, not one duke with no living relatives and a small number of advisers who, as far as Yusuf can tell, don’t all even live in the palace. So he is perhaps left a little more than he had anticipated. Anyway, he goes to sleep planning to spend the next day on his art, with no regrets and no duties left undone, but when he wakes, it is raining, a cool grey drizzle. It will not be pleasant to stand in and certainly he cannot sit outside and sketch in it, as he had planned. After all this time at sea he has little taste for staying confined to one room for too long.
So instead, he starts making a map of the palace, on some spare scraps of paper. He confuses at least ten servants and gets lost five separate times. It’s worth it, though, because on the fourth time he finds the library. It isn’t the grandest he’s ever heard of, but – compared to what he had thought he might find in this city – it’s a balm to the soul. Even if everything is in Latin, and some Greek.
The palace, as he has wandered through, has not been as grand as he might expect. There is little that is shiny and new-gilded; he could see, walking, why the duke’s brother might have wanted him to marry for money. But they have wealth in books. Yusuf knows how much a codex sells for on this side of the sea.
He loses track of time to the extent that he is politely interrupted by a servant, sent by the chatelaine, to ask whether he means to eat something for his midday meal.
“But it is only – oh,” Yusuf says, realising how hungry he actually is. The weather has stayed grey and he had not had the guidance of the sun. “Yes, thank you.”
By the mid-afternoon he is leaning on a reading stand, deciphering what he thinks is an entertainingly dubious translation of Ibn Sina’s geography. He is so lost in it (and, to be perfectly honest, the somewhat hard to decipher text) that when he realises the duke is standing about two feet away he makes a very startled noise. This will, of course, definitely persuade the duke that he’s marriage material.
“I see you like the library,” says the duke.
“The best thing I’ve found so far,” Yusuf says, enthusiastically, and then realises – “not that the rest of the palace isn’t lovely.”
The duke blinks, like he’s been reminded of something he didn’t know he’d forgotten. “Did I not…ask Quỳnh to assign someone to show you around? You found it?”
“I don’t think you did, no,” Yusuf says, as diplomatically as he knows how. “And I’m sure she is very busy.”
“Oh,” says the duke. He does not follow this statement up.
“It’s alright,” Yusuf says. “I’ve been making a map.” He gets it out of his sleeve. “Although, I suppose it isn’t very helpful to you…”
The duke shrugs. “It’s not for me, so I don’t see a problem with that.” He inspects it, a smile curling the corner of his mouth. “I wish it was, though. I’ve lived here nearly all my life and I still get lost sometimes. When furniture gets moved.”
Yusuf doesn’t actually believe this, but it’s the kind of small lie that people tell because they want to make a connection, so he doesn’t mind.
“I can make you a copy,” he says. “In Latin. Although, you might have to tell me what some of the rooms are actually called…” He taps one of the labels. “This is more of a description. Or a guess.”
“That would be the…let me see.” The duke leans on the reading-stand as well, frowning down at the makeshift map. He is, Yusuf realises, casually dressed, missing the outer jacket that men wear here when they are dressed formally. His sleeves are rolled up. He looks a little less like a duke and a little more like a man called Nicolò. Yusuf finds he likes it. “The small reception room.”
Yusuf is wearing his own clothes; he had, everybody had, assumed that his future husband would let him know how he was expected to dress, in his new home. And now it doesn’t matter, does it? “Small reception room?” He makes another note. “Well, that isn’t what I called it.”
“What did you call it?” the duke asks, really smiling now, like he’s enjoying himself. He’s much better-looking when he smiles. For some reason, parts of Yusuf other than his brain are having trouble remembering everything that has happened since he got here; remembering that he’s not marrying this man after all.
“The large room with tapestries,” he says. “I don’t see how it’s a small reception room.”
“Only compared to the main hall, which I don’t think you’ve found yet.” The duke taps a spot off to the side of the map. “I will make sure Quỳnh assigns you someone. I really do apologise.” He steps back. “But I’m interrupting your reading.”
Yusuf opens his mouth to say that he doesn’t mind, but the duke vanishes around the corner of a bookshelf. Probably, Yusuf decides, for the best.
Re: FILL: Yusuf/Nicolo - arranged marriage with a twist (3/?)
(Anonymous) 2020-10-23 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Yusuf/Nicolo - arranged marriage with a twist (3/?)
(Anonymous) 2020-10-24 12:30 am (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Yusuf/Nicolo - arranged marriage with a twist (3/?)
(Anonymous) 2020-10-23 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Yusuf/Nicolo - arranged marriage with a twist (3/?)
(Anonymous) 2020-10-24 02:22 am (UTC)(link)