Fanfiction → Until you break; until you yield. {Spain/Netherlands}
» All Spain ever wanted was for them to be a family. Written as a Christmas gift for moirae. Merry Christmas! [Willem = Netherlands, Margaret = Belgium]
» One-shot
» Spain ; Mentions of Netherlands & Belgium
» PG-13
once i called you brother
once i thought the chance to make you laugh
was all i ever wanted
He stands in the silent, empty room, staring at a map of the world that covers up almost the entire wall.
How small it all seems now; he remembers when people did not travel outside their own towns and villages and the Holy Land seemed a lifetime away.
A short, bitter laugh escapes his lips. The world is mapped now; the Americas and the Far East stand proudly next to Europe and Africa. The world has lost its mystery and romance; all that matters nowadays is the worth of the gold in a man's pocket and how persuasively he can speak.
Spain pulls at his stiff collar in an attempt to loosen it. It is altogether far too hot in the room, heavy curtains and rich garments are not the best choice for the heat of a Spanish summer. He wants nothing more than to rip it all off and go running through the busy streets. He isn't a man of politics; he is a man of action.
His mind shifts to when he had visited Belgium in her cool little house. She was a charming girl; it had to be said, even if her language sounded like choking to Antonio's ears.
A face flashes through his mind. Her brother.
Antonio's face darkens.
That ungrateful, sinful heretic. He had been doing well for himself since he had ran away from Spain's control, one had to admit, but at what cost to his soul?
Spain's gaze shifts from his Empire in Central and Southern America to the East Indies. A thin orange line surrounds most of the islands there, and the words
Indias Orientales Holandesas
are written next to them.
His hand shifts subconsciously on the hilt of his sword (he always felt the most comfortable with some kind of weapon on his person), and he brushes the hair from his eyes with a sticky, sweaty hand.
thus saith the Lord
It seemed not that long ago when Holland had lived in his own house, obeying his rules, dressing in his fashions, speaking Spanish with a strange accent.
But Willem had always gone to mass with a frown on his face, and one day when Margaret had asked him what was wrong he had only replied (in a whisper, for fear of Antonio hearing):
this is wrong, this isn't the way we're supposed to worship God
but Spain had overheard nevertheless, and berated him later (one couldn't strike another in a church) with a hard slap to the face and the command to go and pray the rosary in an attempt to heal his wretched soul.
He hadn't.
He had merely stood there (Antonio only noticed then how his height surpassed his own), and refused to do it.
And Spain could do nothing to make him.
He had known the end was coming after that day, but what could he have done? The man (and he was a man, now), had made up his mind and the only way Spain could stop him was to fight him.
All he ever wanted was for Holland to be his brother. All he ever wanted was for them to be one big, happy family.
(Spain loses, and the Dutch Republic sails away, triumphant.)
thus saith the Lord
Now he was a mighty power, challenging Britain and France and Spain himself.
you who i called brother
why must you call down another blow?
A light breeze ruffles through the room, stirring Antonio from his musings. His fingers move to the crucifix around his neck; he prays silently for the brother/son/friend he thought he had loved.
Then he pulls the sword from its scabbard, and slashes a deep jagged line through the Dutch Empire.
» Translations & Notes:
'Indias Orientales Holandesas' - Dutch East Indies (Spanish)
The song that this story links with is 'The Plagues' from 'The Prince of Egypt'.
On the 26th July 1581, the Act of Abjuration was signed. It was a formal declaration of independence of the Dutch Low Provinces from Spain. After this, the independent Dutch provinces became known as the Dutch Republic, or the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. A key factor in the independence movement from Spain was that of religion. Most of Spain was Catholic, and there were a growing number of Protestants in the Netherlands. This was all set during the Eighty Years' War, in which the Dutch [and their allies, which included England and France] fought the Spanish for Dutch independence.
After the Dutch became Independent, they managed to establish a prosperous trading empire and a large sphere of influence over the world in a remarkably short amount of time, what became known as the Dutch Golden Age.
» One-shot
» Spain ; Mentions of Netherlands & Belgium
» PG-13
once i called you brother
once i thought the chance to make you laugh
was all i ever wanted
He stands in the silent, empty room, staring at a map of the world that covers up almost the entire wall.
How small it all seems now; he remembers when people did not travel outside their own towns and villages and the Holy Land seemed a lifetime away.
A short, bitter laugh escapes his lips. The world is mapped now; the Americas and the Far East stand proudly next to Europe and Africa. The world has lost its mystery and romance; all that matters nowadays is the worth of the gold in a man's pocket and how persuasively he can speak.
Spain pulls at his stiff collar in an attempt to loosen it. It is altogether far too hot in the room, heavy curtains and rich garments are not the best choice for the heat of a Spanish summer. He wants nothing more than to rip it all off and go running through the busy streets. He isn't a man of politics; he is a man of action.
His mind shifts to when he had visited Belgium in her cool little house. She was a charming girl; it had to be said, even if her language sounded like choking to Antonio's ears.
A face flashes through his mind. Her brother.
Antonio's face darkens.
That ungrateful, sinful heretic. He had been doing well for himself since he had ran away from Spain's control, one had to admit, but at what cost to his soul?
Spain's gaze shifts from his Empire in Central and Southern America to the East Indies. A thin orange line surrounds most of the islands there, and the words
Indias Orientales Holandesas
are written next to them.
His hand shifts subconsciously on the hilt of his sword (he always felt the most comfortable with some kind of weapon on his person), and he brushes the hair from his eyes with a sticky, sweaty hand.
thus saith the Lord
It seemed not that long ago when Holland had lived in his own house, obeying his rules, dressing in his fashions, speaking Spanish with a strange accent.
But Willem had always gone to mass with a frown on his face, and one day when Margaret had asked him what was wrong he had only replied (in a whisper, for fear of Antonio hearing):
this is wrong, this isn't the way we're supposed to worship God
but Spain had overheard nevertheless, and berated him later (one couldn't strike another in a church) with a hard slap to the face and the command to go and pray the rosary in an attempt to heal his wretched soul.
He hadn't.
He had merely stood there (Antonio only noticed then how his height surpassed his own), and refused to do it.
And Spain could do nothing to make him.
He had known the end was coming after that day, but what could he have done? The man (and he was a man, now), had made up his mind and the only way Spain could stop him was to fight him.
All he ever wanted was for Holland to be his brother. All he ever wanted was for them to be one big, happy family.
(Spain loses, and the Dutch Republic sails away, triumphant.)
thus saith the Lord
Now he was a mighty power, challenging Britain and France and Spain himself.
you who i called brother
why must you call down another blow?
A light breeze ruffles through the room, stirring Antonio from his musings. His fingers move to the crucifix around his neck; he prays silently for the brother/son/friend he thought he had loved.
Then he pulls the sword from its scabbard, and slashes a deep jagged line through the Dutch Empire.
» Translations & Notes:
'Indias Orientales Holandesas' - Dutch East Indies (Spanish)
The song that this story links with is 'The Plagues' from 'The Prince of Egypt'.
On the 26th July 1581, the Act of Abjuration was signed. It was a formal declaration of independence of the Dutch Low Provinces from Spain. After this, the independent Dutch provinces became known as the Dutch Republic, or the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. A key factor in the independence movement from Spain was that of religion. Most of Spain was Catholic, and there were a growing number of Protestants in the Netherlands. This was all set during the Eighty Years' War, in which the Dutch [and their allies, which included England and France] fought the Spanish for Dutch independence.
After the Dutch became Independent, they managed to establish a prosperous trading empire and a large sphere of influence over the world in a remarkably short amount of time, what became known as the Dutch Golden Age.