(no subject)
Title: A Suitable Arrangement
Pairings: Travis/Gabe
Rating: PG
Summary: Arranged marriage AU with a handwavy fantasy setting. It's time for Travis to marry.
Note: Written for nothingawesome's request for help_japan. I hope you like it!
As the youngest son of the Grand Duke, Travis was free to spend his time carousing in the taverns of the city while his brothers and sisters married and assumed the responsibilities befitting their stations. Travis enjoyed his bachelor life determinedly, knowing it couldn't last. The Grand Duke was an ambitious and well-connected man, and Travis expected that as soon as his father learned of a noble with enough land and some marriageable offspring, Travis would give up his carefree life.
Perhaps his marriage never would have taken place if he hadn't spent the night drinking in the city's most disreputable tavern and then engaged in a brawl that almost destroyed the building, for lack of anything better to do. Travis spent the night in a jail cell; only his father's position saved him from a trial. The university expelled him for conduct unbecoming and he limped back home in disgrace.
"You have been allowed to run wild all your life," his father said, while Travis stood before him rubbing his sore jaw and barely able to see out of his left eye. "It is time for you to stop acting like a spoilt child."
"I can go out to the country to help Brother and his wife," Travis said, because he thought it would be easier for him if he volunteered. "They must need help running the household."
His father instantly dismissed the notion. "You will learn nothing by becoming a glorified farmhand. The estate up north has been allowed to lie fallow for too long. Time away from taverns and cities will do you good. I have recently made acquaintance with an Earl in the southern lands who has a son of marriageable age. You will run the estate together." The Duke sounded pleased. For a treacherous moment, Travis thought that his father was glad that his youngest son had embarrassed himself so publically, as it was an excuse to hasten an family alliance through marriage.
"And if we are not suitable?" Travis asked.
The Duke laughed. "When has that ever mattered?"
*****
"Perhaps it was time that you married," his lady-in-waiting told him while she finished preparing the cold compress for his eye. "Your last sister became lady of the manor forever and ever ago."
Travis shrugged. "When the Grand Duke decides it's time for me to marry, I suppose I must marry." Ashlee handed him the compress and he clapped it over his eye. "Given my activities, I'm shocked he actually found someone willing to let their son marry me."
"From what I hear, the Earl's son is nearly as much of a barbarian as you are," Ashlee said. Ashlee always knew what was happening at court. "It's only his father's fleet of ships that make him any kind of prospect."
"Two of a kind, then," Travis said wearily. Ashlee laughed. "Ash? Has anyone spoken to you about this? About…marrying?"
Ashlee considered. She had married some years ago, but to hear her tell it, her family had not gained any property or trade through the union, and Ashlee went into it thinking it would be like the French novels she liked to read. But she was a special case. "Some of the girls at court say it is manageable. They say after the period of adjustment, it is like living with a brother or sister. It does not have to be an imposition."
Travis relaxed. It would be like living with a brother. That was all right. It made the thought of being exiled to the northern estate a little easier.
*****
It was decided that the Grand Duke and the Earl would meet to discuss the arrangement at the start of the new month. Travis had gone through similar preparations when his brothers and sisters first married; he would dress in his finest clothing, not speak unless spoken to, and hope the Grand Duke and Lord Saporta would come to a mutually satisfactory agreement.
Lord Saporta's retinue arrived early in the morning. Protocol demanded that Travis stay in his rooms until the meeting later in the day, but when Ashlee relayed that the party had arrived, he stayed with his ear to the door, just in case they passed by. He thought they did, but they spoke in a language he didn't understand.
"Perhaps you could stop by their rooms and ask if the Honorable Gabriel Saporta requires anything," he told Ashlee. "You're pretty. They won't refuse you."
"If I do anything to compromise the meeting before it happens, your father will make sure I lose my place," Ashlee says. "You'll have to be patient."
"That's not my area of expertise," Travis said, but spoke no more on the subject.
*****
The Grand Duke took Travis aside before the meeting and made sure that he knew to keep silent and follow protocol. "Lord Saporta has a fleet of merchant ships and a marriageable son. There is no room for your foolishness."
Travis' suit was stiff across his shoulders. He nodded.
Lord Saporta and his retinue were already in the meeting room. The Grand Duke entered swiftly. Travis stayed a few steps behind. His first look at the Honorable Gabriel Saporta came as the formal greetings were exchanged. He was tall and dark-eyed, and Travis attempted to give him a reassuring look as they were introduced. The Honorable Saporta's eyes flashed impatiently and his throat worked as he spoke the required formalities, and Travis had a bad feeling about the meeting.
The Grand Duke and Lord Saporta waited until everyone was seated to begin negotiating. The Grand Duke offered the estate for Travis and Gabriel, access to his political cronies, deeds for the land, while Lord Saporta began to detail his fleet's trade routes. "I believe the Grand Duke will find these much to his liking."
"The Grand Duke," said the Honorable Gabriel Saporta, "will surely enjoy receiving my father's chattel, of which I am part and parcel."
Travis looked up. Speaking during the meeting was a risk that could conceivably put off the arrangement. It was almost unheard of. The Honorable Gabriel Saporta did not wish to marry.
Lord Saporta stared icily at his son. Then he turned back to the Grand Duke. "Gabriel is headstrong and lacking in social decorum, of which I am partly to blame. But he is aware of the importance of our meeting. It is time he married."
The Honorable Gabriel Saporta sat quietly seething across from Travis. Travis looked at his hands and prayed that his father's longing for more trade routes would not override his common sense.
"Children are often lacking in manners," the Grand Duke said, and Travis barely repressed a groan. "I shall speak to my lawyers and send you word. Feel free to enjoy the estate until then." He signaled Travis to rise and leave the room. When the door closed Travis heard Lord Saporta giving his son what could only be the scolding of a lifetime, but he couldn't understand the language.
"I do not think this is wise," Travis said to the Grand Duke as they walked. He kept his voice low. "The marriage will be a joke. I will not be able -"
"It will be a marriage," the Grand Duke said. "You and he must work out your own arrangement."
*****
It was no use protesting. The Grand Duke had the lawyers draw up an agreement, quickly so that the Honorable Gabriel Saporta could not escape in the night, and before Travis knew it he was married and being put on the train to his new estate with his new husband.
The Grand Duke had given him a set of instructions on how to run the estate. Workers must be hired to sow and plow the fields, the stables must be looked after, the neighboring townships organized, servants hired for the manor. Travis' hope was that Ashlee would accompany him to the manor, but the Grand Duke had transferred her away. "It is time you behaved like an adult. You may send for your lady-in-waiting once you have shown you can manage the estate."
Travis felt bewildered. He sat in the train car, across from the Honorable Saporta - his husband, the Marquess, now - and had no idea what to do.
"Are you enjoying the journey?" he asked finally, and then wished he hadn't. Gabriel stared at him and said, "I am not even going to dignify that with an answer."
Travis sat back against the seat. He was going to live in the wilderness with a stranger who hated him. He supposed the only way it could be worse was if he had to kill a dragon before they arrived.
Travis had not visited the northern estate since he was a child. Back then, it had seemed enchanted, green and mysterious, but now the coach pulled up and he could see that the house was in need of repair and the grounds were overgrown. He didn't know how long the estate had operated with more than a skeleton crew.
Gabriel seemed more interested. He got out of the coach and looked around, and Travis thought he saw the faintest flicker of delight in his eyes. Then he looked at Travis and it faded.
When they were inside the house, Gabriel stormed off to presumably lock himself in one of the empty rooms, not waiting for any directions. Travis sighed. He went in search of the groundskeeper, or anyone who would let him know what exactly lay in store for him.
*****
The fields had lain fallow for so long they were unrecognizable, the orchards were full of withered trees, the stables full of ancient filth, and he was certain that the roof was going to cave in on them. He shut himself in the study to try to sort out the finances, but he had spent more time drinking and carousing than studying accountancy at the university, and he had no idea where to start.
The servants at the manor, what little there were, regarded him with respectful amusement, and he supposed it was obvious he did not know what he was doing. He would have to send word to the village that he was in need of workers for the fields and stables and work out their wages.
Occasionally he felt a burst of resentment at the Grand Duke for marrying him off and then exiling him to the country.
*****
After days sequestered in his rooms, Gabriel must have decided that he needed to eat eventually. He appeared in the dining room while Travis was serving up a meager portion of bean soup.
"So he appears," Travis said.
"I cannot eat my bedcovers," Gabriel said. "What is this?"
"Dinner."
Gabriel said nothing but served himself. "Why have you allowed the estate to fall into disrepair?" he asked. "The walls are cracking. The rooms are empty. Do you really expect me to live here?"
"I also have to live here," Travis said. "You seem to forget I was not given a choice in the matter."
Gabriel stared haughtily at him. "Your father is the Grand Duke. You have enough land to build several thousand estates. But you take me here to act as figurehead for a rubbish heap and -"
"Oh, be quiet," Travis said. "While you were off having a tantrum, I was attempting to see if I could actually make something of this place. My father told me to fix things and washed his hands of me. I have no idea where to start and now you're shouting at me. Enjoy the damned soup." Then he overturned the tureen onto the floor and stormed out.
He went and sat in the study and went over the logbook again. It still didn't make sense.
There was a knock at the door. Travis didn't answer but it opened anyway. Gabriel hunched in the doorway, which was too small for him.
"What is it now?" Travis said.
"Did the Grand Duke really wash his hands of you?" Gabriel said.
"He'd been wanting to get me married. Your father has a fleet of ships. It worked out well for him."
"Oh," Gabriel said. "So as I was cleaning up soup, I thought that perhaps I haven't been quite fair. I am not familiar with the ways of this country. I was told before we married that I would be required to stay in the house and stare at the walls while the world turned around me. I would be useless."
"You certainly couldn't be as useless as I am."
"Perhaps not," Gabriel said. "If that is not so…perhaps I could try to help you? I cannot stay in that room by myself any longer. We could start by separating what needs to be rectified immediately and what can wait."
Travis wasn't sure how well Gabriel knew his way around accounts, but having someone's aid made him feel a little better. He passed over the logbook.
Gabriel nodded. "All right then, Marquess."
"I am not a visiting noble," Travis said. "My name is Travis, or Travie if you like."
Gabriel tilted his head and then nodded. "Of course. You can call me Gabe. Gabriel if you're feeling fancy."
*****
Once they had identified the most pressing issues and begun the process of repairing years of neglect, Travis felt a little easier. He started to enjoy making the rounds of the estate, speaking with the staff and acting as overseer. He had taken over the renovations of the stables, and it pleased him to go in and muck out the stalls while the horses whickered softly around him.
Gabe seemed to enjoy doing the figures. He buried himself in the study writing letters and totaling accounts, and when Travis came in at twilight he would gleefully recount how much he had managed to save on grain. Travis began to look forward to Gabe's rush of enthusiasm.
One night when he entered, Gabe did not immediately jump up to greet him with tales of financial accomplishment. He was sitting in the chair by the window with his chin on his knee, lost in thought.
Travis said, "Too much time looking at numbers?"
Gabe smiled half-heartedly. "Too much time away from home."
"Oh," Travis said, and sat down.
"That might not be quite true. I love this country, this house. Once it's fixed, I think I could be quite content here. It's only my friends at court who I miss."
"No, I understand."
"It'll pass. I've perhaps stayed in this room too long."
Travis said, "Would the Earl object if we sent for your friends? The Grand Duke will not allow me to invite anyone familiar until the estate is turned around, but perhaps you are not under any such precept. If they are amenable to helping with the household, perhaps they can come."
Gabe blinked at him. "You would do that?"
"Why shouldn't I? I am the lord of the manor. So are you. We can do whatever we want."
For the first time, Travis felt like Gabe didn't know what to say.
*****
As the household began to fill up, it became easier to manage. Travis no longer walked around fearing the roof would fall in on him.
When the fields were plowed and sowed, and there were new fruit trees in the orchard, Gabe suggested that the manor host a ball for the villagers to thank them for their service. "It will cement our places," he said. "The start of a long and fruitful relationship." Travis couldn't disagree. It meant more long nights of planning and ordering, but that had ceased to be a burden. One night, when the moon had risen and the stars were out, it seemed natural to him to kiss the corner of Gabe's mouth, and it felt natural for Gabe to kiss him back.
The night of the ball, Travis stood in his room polishing his boots while Gabe wrestled with his collar. There was music playing downstairs.
"Travie," Gabe finally said, giving up. Travis turned around and buttoned up the collar.
Gabe smiled at him. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Husband?"
"Always ready," Travis said.
Pairings: Travis/Gabe
Rating: PG
Summary: Arranged marriage AU with a handwavy fantasy setting. It's time for Travis to marry.
Note: Written for nothingawesome's request for help_japan. I hope you like it!
As the youngest son of the Grand Duke, Travis was free to spend his time carousing in the taverns of the city while his brothers and sisters married and assumed the responsibilities befitting their stations. Travis enjoyed his bachelor life determinedly, knowing it couldn't last. The Grand Duke was an ambitious and well-connected man, and Travis expected that as soon as his father learned of a noble with enough land and some marriageable offspring, Travis would give up his carefree life.
Perhaps his marriage never would have taken place if he hadn't spent the night drinking in the city's most disreputable tavern and then engaged in a brawl that almost destroyed the building, for lack of anything better to do. Travis spent the night in a jail cell; only his father's position saved him from a trial. The university expelled him for conduct unbecoming and he limped back home in disgrace.
"You have been allowed to run wild all your life," his father said, while Travis stood before him rubbing his sore jaw and barely able to see out of his left eye. "It is time for you to stop acting like a spoilt child."
"I can go out to the country to help Brother and his wife," Travis said, because he thought it would be easier for him if he volunteered. "They must need help running the household."
His father instantly dismissed the notion. "You will learn nothing by becoming a glorified farmhand. The estate up north has been allowed to lie fallow for too long. Time away from taverns and cities will do you good. I have recently made acquaintance with an Earl in the southern lands who has a son of marriageable age. You will run the estate together." The Duke sounded pleased. For a treacherous moment, Travis thought that his father was glad that his youngest son had embarrassed himself so publically, as it was an excuse to hasten an family alliance through marriage.
"And if we are not suitable?" Travis asked.
The Duke laughed. "When has that ever mattered?"
*****
"Perhaps it was time that you married," his lady-in-waiting told him while she finished preparing the cold compress for his eye. "Your last sister became lady of the manor forever and ever ago."
Travis shrugged. "When the Grand Duke decides it's time for me to marry, I suppose I must marry." Ashlee handed him the compress and he clapped it over his eye. "Given my activities, I'm shocked he actually found someone willing to let their son marry me."
"From what I hear, the Earl's son is nearly as much of a barbarian as you are," Ashlee said. Ashlee always knew what was happening at court. "It's only his father's fleet of ships that make him any kind of prospect."
"Two of a kind, then," Travis said wearily. Ashlee laughed. "Ash? Has anyone spoken to you about this? About…marrying?"
Ashlee considered. She had married some years ago, but to hear her tell it, her family had not gained any property or trade through the union, and Ashlee went into it thinking it would be like the French novels she liked to read. But she was a special case. "Some of the girls at court say it is manageable. They say after the period of adjustment, it is like living with a brother or sister. It does not have to be an imposition."
Travis relaxed. It would be like living with a brother. That was all right. It made the thought of being exiled to the northern estate a little easier.
*****
It was decided that the Grand Duke and the Earl would meet to discuss the arrangement at the start of the new month. Travis had gone through similar preparations when his brothers and sisters first married; he would dress in his finest clothing, not speak unless spoken to, and hope the Grand Duke and Lord Saporta would come to a mutually satisfactory agreement.
Lord Saporta's retinue arrived early in the morning. Protocol demanded that Travis stay in his rooms until the meeting later in the day, but when Ashlee relayed that the party had arrived, he stayed with his ear to the door, just in case they passed by. He thought they did, but they spoke in a language he didn't understand.
"Perhaps you could stop by their rooms and ask if the Honorable Gabriel Saporta requires anything," he told Ashlee. "You're pretty. They won't refuse you."
"If I do anything to compromise the meeting before it happens, your father will make sure I lose my place," Ashlee says. "You'll have to be patient."
"That's not my area of expertise," Travis said, but spoke no more on the subject.
*****
The Grand Duke took Travis aside before the meeting and made sure that he knew to keep silent and follow protocol. "Lord Saporta has a fleet of merchant ships and a marriageable son. There is no room for your foolishness."
Travis' suit was stiff across his shoulders. He nodded.
Lord Saporta and his retinue were already in the meeting room. The Grand Duke entered swiftly. Travis stayed a few steps behind. His first look at the Honorable Gabriel Saporta came as the formal greetings were exchanged. He was tall and dark-eyed, and Travis attempted to give him a reassuring look as they were introduced. The Honorable Saporta's eyes flashed impatiently and his throat worked as he spoke the required formalities, and Travis had a bad feeling about the meeting.
The Grand Duke and Lord Saporta waited until everyone was seated to begin negotiating. The Grand Duke offered the estate for Travis and Gabriel, access to his political cronies, deeds for the land, while Lord Saporta began to detail his fleet's trade routes. "I believe the Grand Duke will find these much to his liking."
"The Grand Duke," said the Honorable Gabriel Saporta, "will surely enjoy receiving my father's chattel, of which I am part and parcel."
Travis looked up. Speaking during the meeting was a risk that could conceivably put off the arrangement. It was almost unheard of. The Honorable Gabriel Saporta did not wish to marry.
Lord Saporta stared icily at his son. Then he turned back to the Grand Duke. "Gabriel is headstrong and lacking in social decorum, of which I am partly to blame. But he is aware of the importance of our meeting. It is time he married."
The Honorable Gabriel Saporta sat quietly seething across from Travis. Travis looked at his hands and prayed that his father's longing for more trade routes would not override his common sense.
"Children are often lacking in manners," the Grand Duke said, and Travis barely repressed a groan. "I shall speak to my lawyers and send you word. Feel free to enjoy the estate until then." He signaled Travis to rise and leave the room. When the door closed Travis heard Lord Saporta giving his son what could only be the scolding of a lifetime, but he couldn't understand the language.
"I do not think this is wise," Travis said to the Grand Duke as they walked. He kept his voice low. "The marriage will be a joke. I will not be able -"
"It will be a marriage," the Grand Duke said. "You and he must work out your own arrangement."
*****
It was no use protesting. The Grand Duke had the lawyers draw up an agreement, quickly so that the Honorable Gabriel Saporta could not escape in the night, and before Travis knew it he was married and being put on the train to his new estate with his new husband.
The Grand Duke had given him a set of instructions on how to run the estate. Workers must be hired to sow and plow the fields, the stables must be looked after, the neighboring townships organized, servants hired for the manor. Travis' hope was that Ashlee would accompany him to the manor, but the Grand Duke had transferred her away. "It is time you behaved like an adult. You may send for your lady-in-waiting once you have shown you can manage the estate."
Travis felt bewildered. He sat in the train car, across from the Honorable Saporta - his husband, the Marquess, now - and had no idea what to do.
"Are you enjoying the journey?" he asked finally, and then wished he hadn't. Gabriel stared at him and said, "I am not even going to dignify that with an answer."
Travis sat back against the seat. He was going to live in the wilderness with a stranger who hated him. He supposed the only way it could be worse was if he had to kill a dragon before they arrived.
Travis had not visited the northern estate since he was a child. Back then, it had seemed enchanted, green and mysterious, but now the coach pulled up and he could see that the house was in need of repair and the grounds were overgrown. He didn't know how long the estate had operated with more than a skeleton crew.
Gabriel seemed more interested. He got out of the coach and looked around, and Travis thought he saw the faintest flicker of delight in his eyes. Then he looked at Travis and it faded.
When they were inside the house, Gabriel stormed off to presumably lock himself in one of the empty rooms, not waiting for any directions. Travis sighed. He went in search of the groundskeeper, or anyone who would let him know what exactly lay in store for him.
*****
The fields had lain fallow for so long they were unrecognizable, the orchards were full of withered trees, the stables full of ancient filth, and he was certain that the roof was going to cave in on them. He shut himself in the study to try to sort out the finances, but he had spent more time drinking and carousing than studying accountancy at the university, and he had no idea where to start.
The servants at the manor, what little there were, regarded him with respectful amusement, and he supposed it was obvious he did not know what he was doing. He would have to send word to the village that he was in need of workers for the fields and stables and work out their wages.
Occasionally he felt a burst of resentment at the Grand Duke for marrying him off and then exiling him to the country.
*****
After days sequestered in his rooms, Gabriel must have decided that he needed to eat eventually. He appeared in the dining room while Travis was serving up a meager portion of bean soup.
"So he appears," Travis said.
"I cannot eat my bedcovers," Gabriel said. "What is this?"
"Dinner."
Gabriel said nothing but served himself. "Why have you allowed the estate to fall into disrepair?" he asked. "The walls are cracking. The rooms are empty. Do you really expect me to live here?"
"I also have to live here," Travis said. "You seem to forget I was not given a choice in the matter."
Gabriel stared haughtily at him. "Your father is the Grand Duke. You have enough land to build several thousand estates. But you take me here to act as figurehead for a rubbish heap and -"
"Oh, be quiet," Travis said. "While you were off having a tantrum, I was attempting to see if I could actually make something of this place. My father told me to fix things and washed his hands of me. I have no idea where to start and now you're shouting at me. Enjoy the damned soup." Then he overturned the tureen onto the floor and stormed out.
He went and sat in the study and went over the logbook again. It still didn't make sense.
There was a knock at the door. Travis didn't answer but it opened anyway. Gabriel hunched in the doorway, which was too small for him.
"What is it now?" Travis said.
"Did the Grand Duke really wash his hands of you?" Gabriel said.
"He'd been wanting to get me married. Your father has a fleet of ships. It worked out well for him."
"Oh," Gabriel said. "So as I was cleaning up soup, I thought that perhaps I haven't been quite fair. I am not familiar with the ways of this country. I was told before we married that I would be required to stay in the house and stare at the walls while the world turned around me. I would be useless."
"You certainly couldn't be as useless as I am."
"Perhaps not," Gabriel said. "If that is not so…perhaps I could try to help you? I cannot stay in that room by myself any longer. We could start by separating what needs to be rectified immediately and what can wait."
Travis wasn't sure how well Gabriel knew his way around accounts, but having someone's aid made him feel a little better. He passed over the logbook.
Gabriel nodded. "All right then, Marquess."
"I am not a visiting noble," Travis said. "My name is Travis, or Travie if you like."
Gabriel tilted his head and then nodded. "Of course. You can call me Gabe. Gabriel if you're feeling fancy."
*****
Once they had identified the most pressing issues and begun the process of repairing years of neglect, Travis felt a little easier. He started to enjoy making the rounds of the estate, speaking with the staff and acting as overseer. He had taken over the renovations of the stables, and it pleased him to go in and muck out the stalls while the horses whickered softly around him.
Gabe seemed to enjoy doing the figures. He buried himself in the study writing letters and totaling accounts, and when Travis came in at twilight he would gleefully recount how much he had managed to save on grain. Travis began to look forward to Gabe's rush of enthusiasm.
One night when he entered, Gabe did not immediately jump up to greet him with tales of financial accomplishment. He was sitting in the chair by the window with his chin on his knee, lost in thought.
Travis said, "Too much time looking at numbers?"
Gabe smiled half-heartedly. "Too much time away from home."
"Oh," Travis said, and sat down.
"That might not be quite true. I love this country, this house. Once it's fixed, I think I could be quite content here. It's only my friends at court who I miss."
"No, I understand."
"It'll pass. I've perhaps stayed in this room too long."
Travis said, "Would the Earl object if we sent for your friends? The Grand Duke will not allow me to invite anyone familiar until the estate is turned around, but perhaps you are not under any such precept. If they are amenable to helping with the household, perhaps they can come."
Gabe blinked at him. "You would do that?"
"Why shouldn't I? I am the lord of the manor. So are you. We can do whatever we want."
For the first time, Travis felt like Gabe didn't know what to say.
*****
As the household began to fill up, it became easier to manage. Travis no longer walked around fearing the roof would fall in on him.
When the fields were plowed and sowed, and there were new fruit trees in the orchard, Gabe suggested that the manor host a ball for the villagers to thank them for their service. "It will cement our places," he said. "The start of a long and fruitful relationship." Travis couldn't disagree. It meant more long nights of planning and ordering, but that had ceased to be a burden. One night, when the moon had risen and the stars were out, it seemed natural to him to kiss the corner of Gabe's mouth, and it felt natural for Gabe to kiss him back.
The night of the ball, Travis stood in his room polishing his boots while Gabe wrestled with his collar. There was music playing downstairs.
"Travie," Gabe finally said, giving up. Travis turned around and buttoned up the collar.
Gabe smiled at him. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Husband?"
"Always ready," Travis said.