bit of randomosity
Jan. 19th, 2008 12:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrOut of head now, back to struggling with knights I go. Unbeta'ed, cause I just don't care.
Grigori opened his eyes, immediately awake – and immediately confused as he stared at a canopy far too luxurious for it to belong to any bed in which he might lay.
Then memory returned, and with it a flush he could feel heat his cheeks, a feeling of disbelief and no small fear.
Sleepy grumbles stirred beside him, and Grigori turned reflexively toward the source, and any dismay he might have felt was momentarily forgotten as he took in the sight of Vasili sleepy and rumbled, hair a mess and face in need of a shave.
Green eyes blinked at him, and then Vasili yawned. "You look far too awake, Grisha. I have been made to get up this early all my life, and still I cannot do it. How do you?"
"Farmers and soldiers both will die if they do not learn to wake before the sun," Grigori replied lightly, fingers twitching to touch, but it still did not settle lightly upon him that this was the King.
He struggled not to think of what he had done to the King last night, for fear his face would burst into flame from the sheer heat of his burning cheeks.
Vasili grunted and threw back the covers, calling out a question about his bath – and Grigori realized abruptly what had woken him.
Servants. Three of them, all waiting patiently at the far end of the room, faces expressionless as one helped Vasili into a morning robe while the other presented him with a sheaf of papers and still another handed him a cup of tea.
Grigori froze and wished suddenly that he were invisible, as eyes flicked over him briefly before returning to the King.
He wanted to groan and pull the blankets up over his head, for he had not truly pondered the weight of his situation until this moment. No, it had been much easier to let his doubts and fears be banished by Vasili's kisses, his touches, his eagerness…
A servant approached after a moment with a morning robe as fine as Vasili's, and Grigori would have laughed if the situation were not so overwhelming. A morning robe! He had grown up with naught more than three outfits – one for working, one for sleeping, and one for nice occasions. The army had been no better. Now he was being offered a morning robe that probably cost more than his parents' cottage.
Taking it hesitantly, he stared, not really certain what to do. Perhaps this was all a mistake, he was not fit for such a grand life. He would never be mistaken for anything but a lowly peasant fortunate enough to have capture the fancy of the King.
He looked up as he heard Vasili's voice again, and watched bemused as the servants all abruptly departed.
Then Vasili returned to the bed, his hand reaching out to cover Grigori's where it held the morning robe in a death grip. "Grisha, you look so unhappy."
Grigori shook his head. "Morning brings hard truths." And he wanted to say Vasili's name, but long-ingrained habit compelled him to say Majesty, and he did not know which would come out, and so did not try to speak either.
Vasili frowned unhappily, and leaned forward to kiss him softly. He tasted like tea, strong and sharp, mouth pliant and warm beneath Grigori's, and why did all seem well when they kissed, and so wrong when they were apart? He could think of no better life than one he could spend kissing Vasili…but the life of being the King's lover was one for which he was ill-suited indeed.
"Grisha, Grisha," Vasili said when they broke apart. "Do not fret so. I can see the worries plain upon your face, and I know it is not easy for you and am sorry for it, but I promise you will fit in well here."
Grigori shook his head and took another kiss, unable to resist, needing the comfort they offered, the assurance that this was real even if it was a frightening reality. "I am nothing but the son of a poor farmer, a lowly soldier."
Vasili kissed him again, hands smoothing over whatever bit of him they could reach, petting and easing. "Grisha, you worry too much." He smiled. "The idea of hunting robbers by yourself in the forest does not upset you a bit, but being forced to endure frippery quite unsettles you."
"Yes," Grigori replied, but reluctantly conceded the absurdity of the matter with a small smile.
"You will do well, I vow it, and none will too troublesome or I shall deal with them accordingly."
Which just went to prove, perhaps, that Vasili was indeed a King. Grigori would have to work long and hard to prove he was more than merely the paramour of the King…but prove himself he could do, especially if he took up the offer to be Captain, which Vasili had briefly mentioned.
"If you toss about my guards the way you tossed me about," Vasili said, as though reading his thoughts, "you will do quite splendidly indeed. My guards are good, but they could be much better. I am afraid I've had trouble keeping a reliable Captain. Now, come, Grisha. We shall have breakfast while I go over these missives and then you can be fitted for new clothes while I argue with my advisor." He continued speaking, rattling off all the things they may or may not do throughout the course of the day, but Grisha ignored most of it for fear he would give in to an urge to run for dear life.
A knock upon the door broke into Vasili's chatter, and he called for the visitor to enter.
The servants from before paraded back in, bearing platters which they set upon the table. Also came the man Grigori recalled from the day before, Kirill, holding still more papers – and a smirk upon his face. "You are actually awake, Majesty."
"Be quiet," Vasili said lightly. "Grisha, get dressed and join me for breakfast, so I do not have to endure Kirill alone. You will shortly discover he is truly the one to run the country, he just prefers the sneakiness of doing it from the shadows."
Kirill snorted and sat down at the table, removing covers from the platters of food, helping himself to the contents.
Food. Grigori felt his stomach growl, and such fine foods he had never seen except at a distance when his damned brother hosted lavish banquets for specials guests. Still, he felt like a foolish imposter as he pulled on the morning robe. He had no choice, however, for his clothes were in no state to be picked up off the floor and put back on. No, indeed. Vasili had been most thorough in expressing his gratitude at being rescued from the forest.
Burying distracting memories, he wandered to the table and slowly helped himself to all the food, listening quietly as Vasili and Kirill bickered about matters he could not even begin to comprehend.
Yet throughout Vasili smiled in his bright way, joked and laughed and was every bit the surprisingly cheerful man he recalled from the forest, a man who managed to smile and be happy where others would have given over to despair.
That steadied him in a way nothing else could, save perhaps Vasili's kisses, and when the conversation turned to inserting him as Captain of the Guard, Grigori managed to respond to questions and eventually counter some of the plans they made. Kirill gradually proved to be no more intimidating than any superior officer, and once you knew their ways there was nothing remotely frightening about them.
It was also hard not to like a man of whom Vasili also thought so highly.
By the time the meal concluded, he no longer felt quite like running – though he was in no hurry to leave Vasili's rooms, either.
"The tailor will be here shortly,' Kirill said at last. "He will get you outfitted for the day, and by week's end we'll have some respectable clothing for you. By the end of the month, you will have more clothes than you know what to do with."
Vasili snorted softly, and muffled the rest of his laughter by drinking more tea.
"I've also summoned a couple of good soldiers to show you around, get you acquainted with the palace and those whom you will most need to know," Kirill continued. "You should not have any problems, though I doubt the soldiers will entirely behave themselves."
Grigori shrugged. "Soldiers I can handle."
"If you can handle them," Kirill replied, "you will have the whole of the palace falling at your feet in gratitude." He turned to Vasili. "You have an appointment in an hour with the ambassadors. The rest of your day I have written out. Memorize it."
Vasili glanced at the list thrust at him. "The lunch will not do. You, I, and Grisha will dine in the garden instead. Invite some of these idiots if you must, though I would prefer to dine just the three of us."
"Yes, Majesty," Kirill said. He stood up. "Captain, welcome to the palace. Thank you for rescuing our idiot King from himself. I hope your first day here goes well, I assure you the entire palace is eager to meet you. Majesty, one hour. Do not be late."
"I would never anger you by being late, Kirill."
Kirill's expression said he did not believe the words for a moment, but he sketched a bow and departed, servants appearing with piles of fabric and a jewel box – and a man who could only be the tailor.
Grigori struggled to tamp down on the panic that wanted to rise up again.
Then Vasili leaned across the space between them and kissed him soundly, and Grigori tried not to recall that there were other people in the room. But the kiss had the desired effect, and he summoned up the same calm he always relied upon when going into battle as the tailor approached him bearing measuring tape and needle, an assistant overburdened with clothing.
He was nothing but a soldier, but it would seem he was the King's soldier, and if he had to brave luxury instead of robbers to continue being that – he would and gladly. The smile Vasili gave him as he was himself dressed in the stately clothes of the King only made Grigori more determined than ever, and he managed a smile of his own as the tailor attacked him.
Grigori opened his eyes, immediately awake – and immediately confused as he stared at a canopy far too luxurious for it to belong to any bed in which he might lay.
Then memory returned, and with it a flush he could feel heat his cheeks, a feeling of disbelief and no small fear.
Sleepy grumbles stirred beside him, and Grigori turned reflexively toward the source, and any dismay he might have felt was momentarily forgotten as he took in the sight of Vasili sleepy and rumbled, hair a mess and face in need of a shave.
Green eyes blinked at him, and then Vasili yawned. "You look far too awake, Grisha. I have been made to get up this early all my life, and still I cannot do it. How do you?"
"Farmers and soldiers both will die if they do not learn to wake before the sun," Grigori replied lightly, fingers twitching to touch, but it still did not settle lightly upon him that this was the King.
He struggled not to think of what he had done to the King last night, for fear his face would burst into flame from the sheer heat of his burning cheeks.
Vasili grunted and threw back the covers, calling out a question about his bath – and Grigori realized abruptly what had woken him.
Servants. Three of them, all waiting patiently at the far end of the room, faces expressionless as one helped Vasili into a morning robe while the other presented him with a sheaf of papers and still another handed him a cup of tea.
Grigori froze and wished suddenly that he were invisible, as eyes flicked over him briefly before returning to the King.
He wanted to groan and pull the blankets up over his head, for he had not truly pondered the weight of his situation until this moment. No, it had been much easier to let his doubts and fears be banished by Vasili's kisses, his touches, his eagerness…
A servant approached after a moment with a morning robe as fine as Vasili's, and Grigori would have laughed if the situation were not so overwhelming. A morning robe! He had grown up with naught more than three outfits – one for working, one for sleeping, and one for nice occasions. The army had been no better. Now he was being offered a morning robe that probably cost more than his parents' cottage.
Taking it hesitantly, he stared, not really certain what to do. Perhaps this was all a mistake, he was not fit for such a grand life. He would never be mistaken for anything but a lowly peasant fortunate enough to have capture the fancy of the King.
He looked up as he heard Vasili's voice again, and watched bemused as the servants all abruptly departed.
Then Vasili returned to the bed, his hand reaching out to cover Grigori's where it held the morning robe in a death grip. "Grisha, you look so unhappy."
Grigori shook his head. "Morning brings hard truths." And he wanted to say Vasili's name, but long-ingrained habit compelled him to say Majesty, and he did not know which would come out, and so did not try to speak either.
Vasili frowned unhappily, and leaned forward to kiss him softly. He tasted like tea, strong and sharp, mouth pliant and warm beneath Grigori's, and why did all seem well when they kissed, and so wrong when they were apart? He could think of no better life than one he could spend kissing Vasili…but the life of being the King's lover was one for which he was ill-suited indeed.
"Grisha, Grisha," Vasili said when they broke apart. "Do not fret so. I can see the worries plain upon your face, and I know it is not easy for you and am sorry for it, but I promise you will fit in well here."
Grigori shook his head and took another kiss, unable to resist, needing the comfort they offered, the assurance that this was real even if it was a frightening reality. "I am nothing but the son of a poor farmer, a lowly soldier."
Vasili kissed him again, hands smoothing over whatever bit of him they could reach, petting and easing. "Grisha, you worry too much." He smiled. "The idea of hunting robbers by yourself in the forest does not upset you a bit, but being forced to endure frippery quite unsettles you."
"Yes," Grigori replied, but reluctantly conceded the absurdity of the matter with a small smile.
"You will do well, I vow it, and none will too troublesome or I shall deal with them accordingly."
Which just went to prove, perhaps, that Vasili was indeed a King. Grigori would have to work long and hard to prove he was more than merely the paramour of the King…but prove himself he could do, especially if he took up the offer to be Captain, which Vasili had briefly mentioned.
"If you toss about my guards the way you tossed me about," Vasili said, as though reading his thoughts, "you will do quite splendidly indeed. My guards are good, but they could be much better. I am afraid I've had trouble keeping a reliable Captain. Now, come, Grisha. We shall have breakfast while I go over these missives and then you can be fitted for new clothes while I argue with my advisor." He continued speaking, rattling off all the things they may or may not do throughout the course of the day, but Grisha ignored most of it for fear he would give in to an urge to run for dear life.
A knock upon the door broke into Vasili's chatter, and he called for the visitor to enter.
The servants from before paraded back in, bearing platters which they set upon the table. Also came the man Grigori recalled from the day before, Kirill, holding still more papers – and a smirk upon his face. "You are actually awake, Majesty."
"Be quiet," Vasili said lightly. "Grisha, get dressed and join me for breakfast, so I do not have to endure Kirill alone. You will shortly discover he is truly the one to run the country, he just prefers the sneakiness of doing it from the shadows."
Kirill snorted and sat down at the table, removing covers from the platters of food, helping himself to the contents.
Food. Grigori felt his stomach growl, and such fine foods he had never seen except at a distance when his damned brother hosted lavish banquets for specials guests. Still, he felt like a foolish imposter as he pulled on the morning robe. He had no choice, however, for his clothes were in no state to be picked up off the floor and put back on. No, indeed. Vasili had been most thorough in expressing his gratitude at being rescued from the forest.
Burying distracting memories, he wandered to the table and slowly helped himself to all the food, listening quietly as Vasili and Kirill bickered about matters he could not even begin to comprehend.
Yet throughout Vasili smiled in his bright way, joked and laughed and was every bit the surprisingly cheerful man he recalled from the forest, a man who managed to smile and be happy where others would have given over to despair.
That steadied him in a way nothing else could, save perhaps Vasili's kisses, and when the conversation turned to inserting him as Captain of the Guard, Grigori managed to respond to questions and eventually counter some of the plans they made. Kirill gradually proved to be no more intimidating than any superior officer, and once you knew their ways there was nothing remotely frightening about them.
It was also hard not to like a man of whom Vasili also thought so highly.
By the time the meal concluded, he no longer felt quite like running – though he was in no hurry to leave Vasili's rooms, either.
"The tailor will be here shortly,' Kirill said at last. "He will get you outfitted for the day, and by week's end we'll have some respectable clothing for you. By the end of the month, you will have more clothes than you know what to do with."
Vasili snorted softly, and muffled the rest of his laughter by drinking more tea.
"I've also summoned a couple of good soldiers to show you around, get you acquainted with the palace and those whom you will most need to know," Kirill continued. "You should not have any problems, though I doubt the soldiers will entirely behave themselves."
Grigori shrugged. "Soldiers I can handle."
"If you can handle them," Kirill replied, "you will have the whole of the palace falling at your feet in gratitude." He turned to Vasili. "You have an appointment in an hour with the ambassadors. The rest of your day I have written out. Memorize it."
Vasili glanced at the list thrust at him. "The lunch will not do. You, I, and Grisha will dine in the garden instead. Invite some of these idiots if you must, though I would prefer to dine just the three of us."
"Yes, Majesty," Kirill said. He stood up. "Captain, welcome to the palace. Thank you for rescuing our idiot King from himself. I hope your first day here goes well, I assure you the entire palace is eager to meet you. Majesty, one hour. Do not be late."
"I would never anger you by being late, Kirill."
Kirill's expression said he did not believe the words for a moment, but he sketched a bow and departed, servants appearing with piles of fabric and a jewel box – and a man who could only be the tailor.
Grigori struggled to tamp down on the panic that wanted to rise up again.
Then Vasili leaned across the space between them and kissed him soundly, and Grigori tried not to recall that there were other people in the room. But the kiss had the desired effect, and he summoned up the same calm he always relied upon when going into battle as the tailor approached him bearing measuring tape and needle, an assistant overburdened with clothing.
He was nothing but a soldier, but it would seem he was the King's soldier, and if he had to brave luxury instead of robbers to continue being that – he would and gladly. The smile Vasili gave him as he was himself dressed in the stately clothes of the King only made Grigori more determined than ever, and he managed a smile of his own as the tailor attacked him.
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Date: 2008-01-19 05:28 pm (UTC)*melt* This is just... *happysigh* I love them muchly and poor Grigori trying
notto fit in to palace life and Vasili knows just what and when to do to calm him and and and.... *____* Mew.Oh, they're going to be just wonderful, yes they are. Grigori is going to pwn, and have everybody looking up to him way more than his stupid jackass brother. *nod* And he gets his pretty king and happies and... *puuurrrrrr*
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Date: 2008-01-19 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-19 06:00 pm (UTC)Poor Grigori, so unsettled by all the changes. He definitely needs all the reassurance he can get. Though I'm pretty sure whipping those guards into shape will be fun for him. I just hope his annoying brother gets to see how far he's gotten and the jealousy causes him an aneurism!
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:03 pm (UTC)Oh, yes *.* what's that term I used to hear constantly, for people obsessed with Japanese culture? I would swear that's me and Russian culture, though mostly just the older clothes and the names >.> I'm sure Sammie must laugh at me, though she always helps ^_^
Heh. I have a vague idea for that, cause it takes the brother a little while to actually reach the palace to face his sentence. Knights are not cooperating, mayhap I'll try it.
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:08 pm (UTC)Ooooo, if you do try it I'll love you even more! *glomps*
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:11 pm (UTC)Poor Grigori. :P
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-19 06:31 pm (UTC)For your exclusive use, of course. XD
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:35 pm (UTC)YAY! ^____^ Thank you <3
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:39 pm (UTC)And if I'm not mistaken, you had no Russian Fairytale icon anyway. XD
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Date: 2008-01-19 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-19 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-19 07:15 pm (UTC)And, ooh, a brother visit! Well, not visit, exactly... ^_^
Good luck with those silly knights. *glomps*
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Date: 2008-01-19 08:22 pm (UTC)You rock my world.
Even pre-caffeine, which takes some doing.
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Date: 2008-01-19 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 12:18 am (UTC)Smirks at Grigori. Don't worry darling, you'll get used to it!
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Date: 2008-01-20 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 03:10 am (UTC)*laugh* Oh, man, have I not been allowed to forget about Trevor ^^ The knights have been beaten into submission, so I will attempt to go poke my vampire muses. The half-elf priest is trickier, but I'll see what I can do. <<333
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Date: 2008-01-20 03:25 am (UTC)I love Grisha. XD Poor man, I feel for him, being so far out of his element. And Vasili has to realize it's love for Grigori to still be by his side in spite of any and all that it means to be king or be the lover of the king.
I loved that line too, about his knowing how to handle the soldiers. I can so see that, and yet it is SO easy to picture him with the morning robe going, 'wtf?!'. XD
*tackle hearts* <333
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Date: 2008-01-20 09:18 am (UTC)...I feel bad, because I want to leave more than fangirl squeeing (and not particularly decent fangirl squeeing at that) but the words, they will not come. Your pure awesomeness just melts my brain sometimes. Well, y'know, more like all the time.
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Date: 2008-01-20 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 02:53 pm (UTC)Men who do it for the money(A-hur-hur) get all drooly and squealy. They make me think that they could do with a pretty aristocrat/prince/king to twirl around and have their wicked way with.
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Date: 2008-01-20 07:09 pm (UTC)But I do think that once he gets settled a bit more, he'll kick ass at being Captain of the guard and the lover of the king (in the public sense. I think he'd kick ass at being Vasili's lover at any point in time).
(oh, and let me know if you got my emails on Knights. I think gmail was having server problems when I was writing/sending them.)
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Date: 2008-01-26 12:01 am (UTC)it took me, like, half the story to realize who the king and grigori were... but then i was just even more OMG than before. :) ammaaaazing.