palacechristian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
palacechristian) wrote2005-04-22 08:21 am
palacechristian) wrote2005-04-22 08:21 am
Entry tags:
On Marriage and Monarchs. [Christian/Johnny]
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Christian strolled in his front door, tugging off his tie and jacket, kicking off his shoes and throwing the lot in through the bedroom door as he headed past on his way to the living room. Johnny was sitting on the sofa, remote in his hand and flicking through channels with idle interest while Adrian snored on the other couch. Christian grinned as he bent over the back of the sofa and kissed Johnny's cheek. "He still asleep or gone again?" Christian had come home for lunch today and he could swear right now that Adrian hadn't moved. He'd been snoring then, too.
Johnny just shrugged, glancing over at Adrian with a grin. "He was awake for a while, but it didn't last. Only thing I can think of is that he's finally catching up on all the energy he's been using the last few days. Of course, the problem is that now he'll probably be awake all night." Johnny gave an exaggerated wince. "I did thank you for that lock on our door, right...?"
"You did." Christian grabbed a bottle of soda from the minibar and took the seat beside Johnny, feet resting on one of their newly-acquired footstools instead of the coffee table. "Mind you," he nudged his lover with an elbow while he took a swig of the cola. "A big bucket of ice-cold water kept by our bed might be an added precaution in case he gets in past it."
"We could have Shannon sleep across the doorway. She knows about guarding, right?" Johnny studied Shannon, then eyed Adrian thoughtfully, as though trying to figure how many meals he'd make.
"Or we could just throw our hands in the air and submit to his erotic demands." Christian crossed his legs at the ankles and, putting the soda on the coffee table, folded his arms behind his head, letting out a contented sigh as the action stretched the kinks out of his spine.
"Well, we've been pretty much doing that. And it's been fun and all, but when I'm as tired as he can make me I just don't want to anymore, you know?" Johnny snuggled up against Christian's side. "Even with someone else doing most of the work, it's just...." He shook his head and glanced up, wry humor in his eyes. "You won't tell anyone, right? I know it's shameful for a guy my age to admit that there's ever such thing as too much sex, but I've definitely found my limit over the last few days."
Christian grinned and dropped his arms to hug his lover. "Me too." he whispered. "Different strokes for different folks, right? I figure Adrian stood in line twice when libidos were being handed out. But," he went on, sitting up briefly to retrieve his drink. "he's asleep now and we should take full advantage." He looked at Johnny. "Had a chat with dad today, 'bout this marriage business."
"Oh? How's that going?"
"Well the preliminary itinerary arrived yesterday and dad got a copy this morning, showed it to me. It's still got some ironing out to go, but basically, she's arriving in a couple of weeks and will stay until we, that is to say, I, decide what I want to do. My schedule will be scaled down to accommodate her and there'll be a few . . . public duties for the both of us." He shot a sideways glance at Johnny. "So folk know we's a-courtin'." he winked.
Johnny laughed, but then when he spoke again his voice sounded annoyed. "So you don't even get to meet each other and... I don't know, get to be friends, in private? Why don't they just sit you down at opposite ends of a parlor, with your family around you and her family around her, dead silent except for the two of you trying to 'get acquainted' and be done with it? Throw in a vid-camera with as live feed, just 'cause you're both royal, and there you go." Johnny shook his head and stole a sip of Christian's drink.
"No, no." Christian chuckled, giving Johnny another playful shove. "You've been watching too many of those old musicals of Harry's. Either that, or I explained it badly. Probably me." He took a last swig of the bottle. "We get plenty of time for all that. The public appearances are for later, won't even be announced unless we both okay it. She's gonna be staying down on Royal with her entourage and we just . . . well, yeah, get to know one another. I'm not marrying some woman I don't know. No way!"
"Well, yeah, I got that part. It just sounded like you'd have to 'get to know her' in front of an audience, and that'd kinda stink, you know?" Johnny nodded his understanding. "So you're not even going to go out in public unless you've already decided to go through with it? That's good."
"Oh I've got no doubt at all that the press will get wind of it, or at least a version. But no, we do nothing 'til the decision's made." He sat quietly for a moment, wiggling his toes and watching them while he pursed his lips in thought. "I hope she's nice." he said finally, glancing up at Johnny. "I mean, I want to do this for dad, for the politics of it, the whole deal, you know? Don't particularly care for the 'married' bit, but . . . I just want it to go well, yeah?"
Johnny cuddled back down, wrapping his arms around Christian's waist. "Well, of course you do. It might be just for politics but you still have to fuck her and that's no fun if you don't like the person you're with. And you'll have to hang out with her some, right? I mean, do some public appearances and stuff even after you're married? Or not?" Johnny squinted and stared off into space for a moment, trying to figure out what made sense.
"Yes to all." Christian snuggled down, glad of the chance to talk and the relative quiet. Relative because Adrian's snores had ramped up a couple of decibels since he'd come home. He spent an idle moment wondering if a clothes peg might silence him and then turned his mind back to the issue they were discussing. "Idea is that, apart from the odd visit I'd have to make to Erador," he pulled a face at the notion, glad Johnny couldn’t see it. "she'll come here to visit for periods of time. Like Mother and Father used to do, only more often. Once there are children, enough children, it's more likely to be our decision who goes where and when. Complicated sounding, but not in practice."
Johnny nodded again. "That's not bad, then, especially since you don't have to marry her at all if you just can't stand her, right?"
"Right." Christian broke off the discussion, tugging Johnny into his arms and indulging himself with a long, lingering kiss. "Mmm." he said when he broke it off for air. "Nice." He kissed Johnny's nose. "All I hope is that she's a more agreeable proposition than that arrogant over-bearing brother of hers." he said.
"Their king's a jerk?" Johnny asked around kisses. "Mmm, that sucks. Well, at least you're not marrying him, right?" He grinned up at his lover and dove in for another deep kiss, pushing both hands into Christian's dark hair and hanging on.
"Gods forfend." Christian gave a mock shudder. "I don't think that's even allowed in Erador. They're a bit . . . backward in that regard. I'm kind of imagining the princess showing up with a duenna as it is!" he chuckled. "I'm being unfair though," he added a little more seriously. "The king is . . . confident in himself. Needs to be, I guess. Dad said he was having a time of it, trying to wrest full control of the country from his counselors. I suppose dad sympathizes as he had to do much the same thing. Still, I didn't really give him a chance," he finished in little more than a subdued mutter. "I have my own problems with the very idea of Erador, much less their monarch."
"Really? How--" Johnny cut himself off as the answer suddenly popped into his head. "It's 'cause of the war, isn't it? You fought them for years and now...." He shook his head and kissed Christian on the cheek. "I'm sorry, I hadn't really thought about it before. This is tough, isn't it?"
"I'm biased." Christian said. "I admit that. Feels stupid to be that way when people like Will have forgiven and forgotten but it's hard to let go of. Some of the things I saw, the things they did, especially in the dying days of the war, just . . ." he shook his head. "It's hard to see past it. But I'm trying."
"Best you can do," Johnny agreed. "And you'll get it eventually. Especially if she turns out to be really nice. She might, right?"
"It's funny." Christian pulled his lover into his arms and rested his chin on top of Johnny's head. "But I don't have the slightest twinge about Caeline." he said. "Maybe because women didn't fight on the Eradorian side? Or maybe it's just the king? Rubs me up the wrong way?"
"Well, that's good, yeah? She's the one you have to get along with, so it's good that you're okay with her." Johnny relaxed into Christian's embrace, enjoying his touch. "Mmm, their king must be a real jerk, though. Maybe if the princess likes it here, she'll want to come visit a lot and you won't have to go there very often? You'd hardly ever have to see him that way."
"No, he's not." Christian let out a long sigh, thinking he should be more logical and fair than this. "It's . . . I don't know. Something about him. Something about the way he looked at me, spoke to me, got my back up. He was perfectly nice though, was just an . . . air about him. I can't explain it." He tilted his head sideways enough that he could see his lover. "I can't 'read' them, you see. Eradorians? They're not receptive. So I can't work out what's going on in his head. Maybe that's what frustrated me."
Over on the other couch, Adrian snorted and moved and Christian rolled his eyes. "Uh-oh." he said. "Looks like quiet time is almost over."
Johnny twisted his neck and peered over at the other sofa. "Crud," he muttered. "We have about half a minute before he wakes up. Last chance," he warned with a grin. "Wanna run for it?"
Biting his inner cheek, Christian looked from one to the other. He unfolded his arms from around Johnny and, with a nudge, got to his feet. "Race you." he offered, but he was already moving toward the bedroom door. "First one in locks the door!"
"Hey! No fair!" Johnny scrambled to his feet and plunged after Christian, getting a good grip on one arm just as he skidded into their bedroom.
Back out in the living room, Adrian snorted, stirred and rolled over. He came fully awake just in time to hear the "Thunk!" of the bolt slamming home on the bedroom door.
He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Crud."
Christian strolled in his front door, tugging off his tie and jacket, kicking off his shoes and throwing the lot in through the bedroom door as he headed past on his way to the living room. Johnny was sitting on the sofa, remote in his hand and flicking through channels with idle interest while Adrian snored on the other couch. Christian grinned as he bent over the back of the sofa and kissed Johnny's cheek. "He still asleep or gone again?" Christian had come home for lunch today and he could swear right now that Adrian hadn't moved. He'd been snoring then, too.
Johnny just shrugged, glancing over at Adrian with a grin. "He was awake for a while, but it didn't last. Only thing I can think of is that he's finally catching up on all the energy he's been using the last few days. Of course, the problem is that now he'll probably be awake all night." Johnny gave an exaggerated wince. "I did thank you for that lock on our door, right...?"
"You did." Christian grabbed a bottle of soda from the minibar and took the seat beside Johnny, feet resting on one of their newly-acquired footstools instead of the coffee table. "Mind you," he nudged his lover with an elbow while he took a swig of the cola. "A big bucket of ice-cold water kept by our bed might be an added precaution in case he gets in past it."
"We could have Shannon sleep across the doorway. She knows about guarding, right?" Johnny studied Shannon, then eyed Adrian thoughtfully, as though trying to figure how many meals he'd make.
"Or we could just throw our hands in the air and submit to his erotic demands." Christian crossed his legs at the ankles and, putting the soda on the coffee table, folded his arms behind his head, letting out a contented sigh as the action stretched the kinks out of his spine.
"Well, we've been pretty much doing that. And it's been fun and all, but when I'm as tired as he can make me I just don't want to anymore, you know?" Johnny snuggled up against Christian's side. "Even with someone else doing most of the work, it's just...." He shook his head and glanced up, wry humor in his eyes. "You won't tell anyone, right? I know it's shameful for a guy my age to admit that there's ever such thing as too much sex, but I've definitely found my limit over the last few days."
Christian grinned and dropped his arms to hug his lover. "Me too." he whispered. "Different strokes for different folks, right? I figure Adrian stood in line twice when libidos were being handed out. But," he went on, sitting up briefly to retrieve his drink. "he's asleep now and we should take full advantage." He looked at Johnny. "Had a chat with dad today, 'bout this marriage business."
"Oh? How's that going?"
"Well the preliminary itinerary arrived yesterday and dad got a copy this morning, showed it to me. It's still got some ironing out to go, but basically, she's arriving in a couple of weeks and will stay until we, that is to say, I, decide what I want to do. My schedule will be scaled down to accommodate her and there'll be a few . . . public duties for the both of us." He shot a sideways glance at Johnny. "So folk know we's a-courtin'." he winked.
Johnny laughed, but then when he spoke again his voice sounded annoyed. "So you don't even get to meet each other and... I don't know, get to be friends, in private? Why don't they just sit you down at opposite ends of a parlor, with your family around you and her family around her, dead silent except for the two of you trying to 'get acquainted' and be done with it? Throw in a vid-camera with as live feed, just 'cause you're both royal, and there you go." Johnny shook his head and stole a sip of Christian's drink.
"No, no." Christian chuckled, giving Johnny another playful shove. "You've been watching too many of those old musicals of Harry's. Either that, or I explained it badly. Probably me." He took a last swig of the bottle. "We get plenty of time for all that. The public appearances are for later, won't even be announced unless we both okay it. She's gonna be staying down on Royal with her entourage and we just . . . well, yeah, get to know one another. I'm not marrying some woman I don't know. No way!"
"Well, yeah, I got that part. It just sounded like you'd have to 'get to know her' in front of an audience, and that'd kinda stink, you know?" Johnny nodded his understanding. "So you're not even going to go out in public unless you've already decided to go through with it? That's good."
"Oh I've got no doubt at all that the press will get wind of it, or at least a version. But no, we do nothing 'til the decision's made." He sat quietly for a moment, wiggling his toes and watching them while he pursed his lips in thought. "I hope she's nice." he said finally, glancing up at Johnny. "I mean, I want to do this for dad, for the politics of it, the whole deal, you know? Don't particularly care for the 'married' bit, but . . . I just want it to go well, yeah?"
Johnny cuddled back down, wrapping his arms around Christian's waist. "Well, of course you do. It might be just for politics but you still have to fuck her and that's no fun if you don't like the person you're with. And you'll have to hang out with her some, right? I mean, do some public appearances and stuff even after you're married? Or not?" Johnny squinted and stared off into space for a moment, trying to figure out what made sense.
"Yes to all." Christian snuggled down, glad of the chance to talk and the relative quiet. Relative because Adrian's snores had ramped up a couple of decibels since he'd come home. He spent an idle moment wondering if a clothes peg might silence him and then turned his mind back to the issue they were discussing. "Idea is that, apart from the odd visit I'd have to make to Erador," he pulled a face at the notion, glad Johnny couldn’t see it. "she'll come here to visit for periods of time. Like Mother and Father used to do, only more often. Once there are children, enough children, it's more likely to be our decision who goes where and when. Complicated sounding, but not in practice."
Johnny nodded again. "That's not bad, then, especially since you don't have to marry her at all if you just can't stand her, right?"
"Right." Christian broke off the discussion, tugging Johnny into his arms and indulging himself with a long, lingering kiss. "Mmm." he said when he broke it off for air. "Nice." He kissed Johnny's nose. "All I hope is that she's a more agreeable proposition than that arrogant over-bearing brother of hers." he said.
"Their king's a jerk?" Johnny asked around kisses. "Mmm, that sucks. Well, at least you're not marrying him, right?" He grinned up at his lover and dove in for another deep kiss, pushing both hands into Christian's dark hair and hanging on.
"Gods forfend." Christian gave a mock shudder. "I don't think that's even allowed in Erador. They're a bit . . . backward in that regard. I'm kind of imagining the princess showing up with a duenna as it is!" he chuckled. "I'm being unfair though," he added a little more seriously. "The king is . . . confident in himself. Needs to be, I guess. Dad said he was having a time of it, trying to wrest full control of the country from his counselors. I suppose dad sympathizes as he had to do much the same thing. Still, I didn't really give him a chance," he finished in little more than a subdued mutter. "I have my own problems with the very idea of Erador, much less their monarch."
"Really? How--" Johnny cut himself off as the answer suddenly popped into his head. "It's 'cause of the war, isn't it? You fought them for years and now...." He shook his head and kissed Christian on the cheek. "I'm sorry, I hadn't really thought about it before. This is tough, isn't it?"
"I'm biased." Christian said. "I admit that. Feels stupid to be that way when people like Will have forgiven and forgotten but it's hard to let go of. Some of the things I saw, the things they did, especially in the dying days of the war, just . . ." he shook his head. "It's hard to see past it. But I'm trying."
"Best you can do," Johnny agreed. "And you'll get it eventually. Especially if she turns out to be really nice. She might, right?"
"It's funny." Christian pulled his lover into his arms and rested his chin on top of Johnny's head. "But I don't have the slightest twinge about Caeline." he said. "Maybe because women didn't fight on the Eradorian side? Or maybe it's just the king? Rubs me up the wrong way?"
"Well, that's good, yeah? She's the one you have to get along with, so it's good that you're okay with her." Johnny relaxed into Christian's embrace, enjoying his touch. "Mmm, their king must be a real jerk, though. Maybe if the princess likes it here, she'll want to come visit a lot and you won't have to go there very often? You'd hardly ever have to see him that way."
"No, he's not." Christian let out a long sigh, thinking he should be more logical and fair than this. "It's . . . I don't know. Something about him. Something about the way he looked at me, spoke to me, got my back up. He was perfectly nice though, was just an . . . air about him. I can't explain it." He tilted his head sideways enough that he could see his lover. "I can't 'read' them, you see. Eradorians? They're not receptive. So I can't work out what's going on in his head. Maybe that's what frustrated me."
Over on the other couch, Adrian snorted and moved and Christian rolled his eyes. "Uh-oh." he said. "Looks like quiet time is almost over."
Johnny twisted his neck and peered over at the other sofa. "Crud," he muttered. "We have about half a minute before he wakes up. Last chance," he warned with a grin. "Wanna run for it?"
Biting his inner cheek, Christian looked from one to the other. He unfolded his arms from around Johnny and, with a nudge, got to his feet. "Race you." he offered, but he was already moving toward the bedroom door. "First one in locks the door!"
"Hey! No fair!" Johnny scrambled to his feet and plunged after Christian, getting a good grip on one arm just as he skidded into their bedroom.
Back out in the living room, Adrian snorted, stirred and rolled over. He came fully awake just in time to hear the "Thunk!" of the bolt slamming home on the bedroom door.
He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Crud."