emir&ivan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
emirandivan) wrote2019-12-11 12:57 pm
emirandivan) wrote2019-12-11 12:57 pm
Emir/Ivan Part 34
First posted here
The rest of the journey was made in silence, as Emir was too disturbed by the events of the evening to know what to say, and Ivan appeared to be in a quiet fury. Adric attempted once or twice to make a comment, but Pasha quelled him and they fell silent too.
Emir felt his anxiety grow with every jolt of the carriage. Why had those protestors turned to him, looking for solidarity? Was it only because of his nationality, or more? Had his youthful recklessness come back to punish him - could someone know of his political essays? But no, that was so unlikely. If anyone had them they would have surfaced long ago, when the trouble in Atueum had first occurred.
Adric’s comment about Emir’s presence causing ‘excitement’ worried at him. The friction with Ivan’s brother and the Queen, the riots and their aftermath - and now this. It felt as though the trouble which had so often flared but been subdued was on an unstoppable path now, and he had somehow become part of it.
And what were his true feelings about it all now? He was a part of the Imperial royal family of Eresenia - where should his loyalties lie? He knew what his father would say, and what he would expect of him now. But he wasn’t here to see the mess that was unfolding with every decision the Crown Prince made. It seemed almost impossible that Peter was steering them towards either war or a people’s revolt, not after all these years of peace. Yes, Emir consoled himself, that would surely be impossible over one difficult treaty. The Union Agreement was solid and the Union countries in strong alliance. And yet...beneath that calm surface churned so many centuries of disparate loyalties, trade deals, border disputes, anger and fear.
And now some of those angry, frightened people had appealed to him.
He glanced up at Ivan who was staring out of the window. Emir felt a tug at his heart as he looked at his husband’s impossibly perfect profile. It seemed their marriage was not only difficult for Ivan in matters of his heart, but now his other pleasures were being affected. Already prevented from any clandestine trips to the old town, it seemed cruelly unfair that no doubt theatre visits would face the same restriction.
Ivan turned to look at him.
“I’m not happy about any of this,” he burst out. “We shouldn’t have left. I don’t believe it was the best thing to do. We must look utterly callous.”
Emir nodded. “We must think how best to remedy it.”
“If mother and bloody Peter will allow us to,” Ivan said, anger sparking in his eyes. “If nothing else then they cannot be allowed to punish anyone for it. I won’t permit it. Not for Art.”
Emir almost smiled at Ivan’s vehemence. “I don’t know if her majesty would be particularly persuaded by ‘Art’.”
“No, I don’t expect she will be. I’ll have to think of something else to stop her having everyone hanged. Oh Emir, you must despair of what you’ve married into,” Ivan said with a half laugh, half groan. The rush to leave the theatre had knocked the pearl circlet in his hair askew and without thinking, Emir lifted a hand and straightened it.
Ivan blinked at him. “Am I presentable again?” he said lightly.
“Always,” Emir said, and Ivan gave him a brief smile with teeth as white as the jewels in his hair.
“We should try to look as unruffled as possible when we alight I suppose,” he said with a sigh. “If we give the impression we’re terribly upset by tonight it won’t go well for the theatre company. Gods, I feel as though our every move is being observed in the Palace.”
“What a thought,” Pasha said and Adric gave a low laugh. “But no more true than usual I’m sure.”
“Here we are,” observed Ivan as the great gates opened for them. He leaned towards Emir. “We must talk though.”
“In our rooms,” Emir agreed. Though the talk must surely be of politics - and what bad luck for Ivan to have shown the world such closeness to his husband on tonight of all nights - the thought of recapturing some of the intimacy of the early part of the evening was an enticing temptation.
The door of the carriage opened and Emir felt the slight pressure of Ivan’s hand on his arm as they alighted. But before they could enter the Palace a figure emerged from the dark of the south terrace and approached them.
The guards moved lightning fast to halt him.
“Sire, forgive me,” Kanat said, bowing low to them both. He gave the impression of nervous agitation. “I was waiting for you.”
Emir felt Ivan draw away from him and felt a surge of disappointed annoyance.
“Kanat for heaven’s sake, we had no plans to meet,” he said.
Kanat bowed again, his handsome face a picture of distress. “I apologise. There was news from town about the disturbances, and I was concerned…”
Emir felt ashamed of his outburst. “I am quite alright. We all are,” he said more calmly. “Thank you, but there is no reason for concern.”
“If I might just have a moment of your time, Sire,” Kanat persisted.
Gods, what was wrong with him? This was far beyond inappropriate. There was perhaps something more serious he wanted to speak of than his feelings of concern for Emir, but even so.
“It must wait till tomorrow,” Emir said. “I can receive you then.”
“Sire,” Kanat began again.
“My husband and I are very tired,” Ivan interjected in his most courtly manner. “We plan to retire directly. But he is very well as you can see, and quite unharmed. I hope that sets your mind at rest.”
“It does your majesty,” Kanat said with a tight smile. “I apologise for my urgency.”
Ivan nodded to him with a gracious smile. “Shall we?” he said to Emir, and without waiting for an answer, he swept towards the Great Hall.
Part 35
The rest of the journey was made in silence, as Emir was too disturbed by the events of the evening to know what to say, and Ivan appeared to be in a quiet fury. Adric attempted once or twice to make a comment, but Pasha quelled him and they fell silent too.
Emir felt his anxiety grow with every jolt of the carriage. Why had those protestors turned to him, looking for solidarity? Was it only because of his nationality, or more? Had his youthful recklessness come back to punish him - could someone know of his political essays? But no, that was so unlikely. If anyone had them they would have surfaced long ago, when the trouble in Atueum had first occurred.
Adric’s comment about Emir’s presence causing ‘excitement’ worried at him. The friction with Ivan’s brother and the Queen, the riots and their aftermath - and now this. It felt as though the trouble which had so often flared but been subdued was on an unstoppable path now, and he had somehow become part of it.
And what were his true feelings about it all now? He was a part of the Imperial royal family of Eresenia - where should his loyalties lie? He knew what his father would say, and what he would expect of him now. But he wasn’t here to see the mess that was unfolding with every decision the Crown Prince made. It seemed almost impossible that Peter was steering them towards either war or a people’s revolt, not after all these years of peace. Yes, Emir consoled himself, that would surely be impossible over one difficult treaty. The Union Agreement was solid and the Union countries in strong alliance. And yet...beneath that calm surface churned so many centuries of disparate loyalties, trade deals, border disputes, anger and fear.
And now some of those angry, frightened people had appealed to him.
He glanced up at Ivan who was staring out of the window. Emir felt a tug at his heart as he looked at his husband’s impossibly perfect profile. It seemed their marriage was not only difficult for Ivan in matters of his heart, but now his other pleasures were being affected. Already prevented from any clandestine trips to the old town, it seemed cruelly unfair that no doubt theatre visits would face the same restriction.
Ivan turned to look at him.
“I’m not happy about any of this,” he burst out. “We shouldn’t have left. I don’t believe it was the best thing to do. We must look utterly callous.”
Emir nodded. “We must think how best to remedy it.”
“If mother and bloody Peter will allow us to,” Ivan said, anger sparking in his eyes. “If nothing else then they cannot be allowed to punish anyone for it. I won’t permit it. Not for Art.”
Emir almost smiled at Ivan’s vehemence. “I don’t know if her majesty would be particularly persuaded by ‘Art’.”
“No, I don’t expect she will be. I’ll have to think of something else to stop her having everyone hanged. Oh Emir, you must despair of what you’ve married into,” Ivan said with a half laugh, half groan. The rush to leave the theatre had knocked the pearl circlet in his hair askew and without thinking, Emir lifted a hand and straightened it.
Ivan blinked at him. “Am I presentable again?” he said lightly.
“Always,” Emir said, and Ivan gave him a brief smile with teeth as white as the jewels in his hair.
“We should try to look as unruffled as possible when we alight I suppose,” he said with a sigh. “If we give the impression we’re terribly upset by tonight it won’t go well for the theatre company. Gods, I feel as though our every move is being observed in the Palace.”
“What a thought,” Pasha said and Adric gave a low laugh. “But no more true than usual I’m sure.”
“Here we are,” observed Ivan as the great gates opened for them. He leaned towards Emir. “We must talk though.”
“In our rooms,” Emir agreed. Though the talk must surely be of politics - and what bad luck for Ivan to have shown the world such closeness to his husband on tonight of all nights - the thought of recapturing some of the intimacy of the early part of the evening was an enticing temptation.
The door of the carriage opened and Emir felt the slight pressure of Ivan’s hand on his arm as they alighted. But before they could enter the Palace a figure emerged from the dark of the south terrace and approached them.
The guards moved lightning fast to halt him.
“Sire, forgive me,” Kanat said, bowing low to them both. He gave the impression of nervous agitation. “I was waiting for you.”
Emir felt Ivan draw away from him and felt a surge of disappointed annoyance.
“Kanat for heaven’s sake, we had no plans to meet,” he said.
Kanat bowed again, his handsome face a picture of distress. “I apologise. There was news from town about the disturbances, and I was concerned…”
Emir felt ashamed of his outburst. “I am quite alright. We all are,” he said more calmly. “Thank you, but there is no reason for concern.”
“If I might just have a moment of your time, Sire,” Kanat persisted.
Gods, what was wrong with him? This was far beyond inappropriate. There was perhaps something more serious he wanted to speak of than his feelings of concern for Emir, but even so.
“It must wait till tomorrow,” Emir said. “I can receive you then.”
“Sire,” Kanat began again.
“My husband and I are very tired,” Ivan interjected in his most courtly manner. “We plan to retire directly. But he is very well as you can see, and quite unharmed. I hope that sets your mind at rest.”
“It does your majesty,” Kanat said with a tight smile. “I apologise for my urgency.”
Ivan nodded to him with a gracious smile. “Shall we?” he said to Emir, and without waiting for an answer, he swept towards the Great Hall.
Part 35
no subject
Good on Emir for telling him to shove it rather than let himself be maneuvered into whatever it was Kanat was trying to maneuver him into, and good on Ivan for backing him up instead of making a misguided attempt to be understanding of Emir's relationship with Kanat though!
no subject
Yes, I think Ivan was too tired to even try to pretend to be ok with Kanat at that point. So he did imperial politeness at him instead.