[Stargate: Fiction] "Compatibility of Souls: Chapter One: Faithful Service" [2/12] [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Chapter One: Faithful Service
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,100
Prompt: mcsheplets challenge #052 ‘destiny’
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney is a prince of Egypt and John is the captain of his guard.
Chapter One: Faithful Service
Non-Warning! This chapter contains nothing particularly offensive.
Tanis, Lower Egypt
1006 B.C. (21st dynasty)
Rodames did his best to look like a Royal Prince, second son of the great pharaoh, but his fingers itched to go back to his calculations.
Was all this pageantry really necessary, he wondered. Yes, his father was king of all Lower Egypt, good for him. He had fifty-foot statues with his face on them, did he really need all of this… noise?
At least he was the younger son, and he’d never have to do any of this. Jumoke, his elder brother, would be pharaoh, and if the gods had any mercy, Jumoke would leave Rodames to conduct his experiments in peace.
Rodames’s mother, in the throne beside her husband’s, caught his eye, scowling, and Radames forced himself to be still again.
Then, one of the pompous officials who had been making announcements said, “Captain Jahi, of the Prince’s Royal Guard.”
‘Captain’ was practically an honorary title- Radames’s guard only had two soldiers, Jahi and a man named Geb who mostly painted while Radames worked. They rarely left the palace, except to visit the market for supplies, and the entire kingdom knew that Radames had no interest in the throne, so he hadn’t had to worry about assassination attempts, the way Jumoke did.
Except for last week, when an extreme political faction had tried to kill the entire Royal Family. Radames had never seen Jahi look so terrifying or so beautiful, flushed from the fight and spattered with blood that wasn’t his.
He looked almost as good now, in his full ceremonial uniform, as he dropped to one knee before the throne. “How may I serve, my Pharaoh?”
Radames’s father smiled. “You have already served, and faithfully. We have you to thank for the safety and health of our son.”
He waved a hand to Radames, who straightened, trying to look royal.
“I was only doing my duty, sire,” said Jahi, eyes fixed on the base of the throne.
“That may be,” the pharaoh agreed. “But such service should still be rewarded. Name your prize, captain, and you shall have it.”
Jahi looked up, surprised. “I-” he began, then lowered his eyes again. “I need no prize for fulfilling my obligations, sire.”
“Oh, don’t be an idiot,” Radames snapped, before he could stop himself. “There’s got to be something you want. A dangerous horse, a ridiculously fast chariot, a promotion to the pharaoh’s guard…”
“An excellent idea, my son,” said the pharaoh. “Captain Jahi, if you will accept the position, we will promote you to the head of our own personal guard.”
There was a murmur from the crowd. The pharaoh’s guard were the most elite soldiers in the kingdom, with more power and privilege than any who wasn’t noble-born. To be admitted to their ranks was an honor, usually hard-won, so for his father to offer Jahi command…
Jahi squared his shoulders- Radames knew that look, the one that said that Jahi was about to do something stupidly noble. But before he could do anything, Jahi said, “My Lord Pharaoh, I do not deserve such generosity, and yet… I must ask you to indulge me further. I cannot accept a position in your guard. But if you will permit me to humbly remind you, sire, you offered me a reward of my own choosing. And if I must choose, then the only reward I could accept is to remain in my current position as captain of the prince’s guard, and when the time comes that I can no longer perform that duty, that I be allowed to name my own successor.”
The crowd murmured again, louder than before. Most people considered assignment to the prince’s guard- especially assignment to Radames’s guard- as the worst a soldier could get, but Jahi was choosing it as a reward? It didn’t make any sense.
“What?” Radames blurted, but his father smiled.
“You are indeed brave, Captain Jahi,” the pharaoh said. “It shall be exactly as you say.”
Jahi bowed. “Thank you, Lord Pharaoh.”
The ruler waved a dismissive hand, and Jahi left the hall, cloak swirling behind him. Radames waited half a heartbeat before following him.
“Are you an idiot?” he hissed at Jahi, catching up to him by one of the brightly-painted pillars that held up the hall.
“According to you, or everyone else?” Jahi asked, smiling.
“You are an idiot,” said Radames. “Do you know how often my father gives people open-ended offers like that? Neither do I, because I can’t remember it happening before!”
“Well, it’s not like you pay attention during those audiences,” said Jahi. “Maybe you missed it.”
“Don’t try to distract me,” Radames snapped. Somehow, they had ended up back at the palace, in the hallway leading to Radames’s chambers. “You could have had anything, Jahi, do you understand that? Anything. And you waste it on keeping a job that nobody else wants!”
“It’s not a waste!” Jahi said, fiercely. “For once in my life, I did something I wanted, so don’t you dare tell me it was a waste.”
Face flushed, fists clenched at his sides, Jahi looked just as dangerous, just as beautiful as he had the day of the assassination attempt.
“Why?” Radames asked, pleadingly. “Just… why?”
Jahi’s fingers uncurled, slowly. “I…” he began, then took a deep breath. “Being in the pharaoh’s guard is what every soldier aspires to. The men are respected, and the officers are as good as noble-born men, anywhere. But when your father offered me command, I couldn’t remember any of that. In that moment, all I could think was, Don’t let them take me away from Radames.”
“Oh,” said Radames. “Oh.”
Jahi flushed, the tips of his ears going pink, and he ducked his head. “I won’t let my personal feelings get in the way of my duty, Your Highness,” he said, oddly formal. “I swear it.”
“Oh, gods,” said Radames. “I’m an idiot. I mean, no, I’m a genius, but just now, about this… I wasn’t afraid I was going to die.”
“I- What?” said Jahi.
“When I was attacked, the assassination attempt. I knew there was a chance that I could die, but I wasn’t afraid of that. I was afraid you would die.”
“Oh,” said Jahi.
Radames snorted a laugh. “I just didn’t realize… I’ve never had anyone I was afraid of losing, before.”
“Me, neither,” said Jahi.
“So, you really want to stay?” Radames asked, slowly. “With me?”
“Yes,” said Jahi, stepping closer. “Yes.”
Radames closed the space between them with one long stride to cup his hands around Jahi’s face for a long, deep kiss.
“Yes,” Jahi said again, breathless.
Who’s Who:
Rodney McKay as Radames, second-born prince
John Sheppard as Jahi, head of the prince’s guard
Jeannie Miller (technically) as Jumoke, first-born prince
Evan Lorne as Geb, member of the prince’s guard
Chapter Two
Current Mood:
clean
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,100
Prompt: mcsheplets challenge #052 ‘destiny’
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney is a prince of Egypt and John is the captain of his guard.
Chapter One: Faithful Service
Non-Warning! This chapter contains nothing particularly offensive.
Tanis, Lower Egypt
1006 B.C. (21st dynasty)
Rodames did his best to look like a Royal Prince, second son of the great pharaoh, but his fingers itched to go back to his calculations.
Was all this pageantry really necessary, he wondered. Yes, his father was king of all Lower Egypt, good for him. He had fifty-foot statues with his face on them, did he really need all of this… noise?
At least he was the younger son, and he’d never have to do any of this. Jumoke, his elder brother, would be pharaoh, and if the gods had any mercy, Jumoke would leave Rodames to conduct his experiments in peace.
Rodames’s mother, in the throne beside her husband’s, caught his eye, scowling, and Radames forced himself to be still again.
Then, one of the pompous officials who had been making announcements said, “Captain Jahi, of the Prince’s Royal Guard.”
‘Captain’ was practically an honorary title- Radames’s guard only had two soldiers, Jahi and a man named Geb who mostly painted while Radames worked. They rarely left the palace, except to visit the market for supplies, and the entire kingdom knew that Radames had no interest in the throne, so he hadn’t had to worry about assassination attempts, the way Jumoke did.
Except for last week, when an extreme political faction had tried to kill the entire Royal Family. Radames had never seen Jahi look so terrifying or so beautiful, flushed from the fight and spattered with blood that wasn’t his.
He looked almost as good now, in his full ceremonial uniform, as he dropped to one knee before the throne. “How may I serve, my Pharaoh?”
Radames’s father smiled. “You have already served, and faithfully. We have you to thank for the safety and health of our son.”
He waved a hand to Radames, who straightened, trying to look royal.
“I was only doing my duty, sire,” said Jahi, eyes fixed on the base of the throne.
“That may be,” the pharaoh agreed. “But such service should still be rewarded. Name your prize, captain, and you shall have it.”
Jahi looked up, surprised. “I-” he began, then lowered his eyes again. “I need no prize for fulfilling my obligations, sire.”
“Oh, don’t be an idiot,” Radames snapped, before he could stop himself. “There’s got to be something you want. A dangerous horse, a ridiculously fast chariot, a promotion to the pharaoh’s guard…”
“An excellent idea, my son,” said the pharaoh. “Captain Jahi, if you will accept the position, we will promote you to the head of our own personal guard.”
There was a murmur from the crowd. The pharaoh’s guard were the most elite soldiers in the kingdom, with more power and privilege than any who wasn’t noble-born. To be admitted to their ranks was an honor, usually hard-won, so for his father to offer Jahi command…
Jahi squared his shoulders- Radames knew that look, the one that said that Jahi was about to do something stupidly noble. But before he could do anything, Jahi said, “My Lord Pharaoh, I do not deserve such generosity, and yet… I must ask you to indulge me further. I cannot accept a position in your guard. But if you will permit me to humbly remind you, sire, you offered me a reward of my own choosing. And if I must choose, then the only reward I could accept is to remain in my current position as captain of the prince’s guard, and when the time comes that I can no longer perform that duty, that I be allowed to name my own successor.”
The crowd murmured again, louder than before. Most people considered assignment to the prince’s guard- especially assignment to Radames’s guard- as the worst a soldier could get, but Jahi was choosing it as a reward? It didn’t make any sense.
“What?” Radames blurted, but his father smiled.
“You are indeed brave, Captain Jahi,” the pharaoh said. “It shall be exactly as you say.”
Jahi bowed. “Thank you, Lord Pharaoh.”
The ruler waved a dismissive hand, and Jahi left the hall, cloak swirling behind him. Radames waited half a heartbeat before following him.
“Are you an idiot?” he hissed at Jahi, catching up to him by one of the brightly-painted pillars that held up the hall.
“According to you, or everyone else?” Jahi asked, smiling.
“You are an idiot,” said Radames. “Do you know how often my father gives people open-ended offers like that? Neither do I, because I can’t remember it happening before!”
“Well, it’s not like you pay attention during those audiences,” said Jahi. “Maybe you missed it.”
“Don’t try to distract me,” Radames snapped. Somehow, they had ended up back at the palace, in the hallway leading to Radames’s chambers. “You could have had anything, Jahi, do you understand that? Anything. And you waste it on keeping a job that nobody else wants!”
“It’s not a waste!” Jahi said, fiercely. “For once in my life, I did something I wanted, so don’t you dare tell me it was a waste.”
Face flushed, fists clenched at his sides, Jahi looked just as dangerous, just as beautiful as he had the day of the assassination attempt.
“Why?” Radames asked, pleadingly. “Just… why?”
Jahi’s fingers uncurled, slowly. “I…” he began, then took a deep breath. “Being in the pharaoh’s guard is what every soldier aspires to. The men are respected, and the officers are as good as noble-born men, anywhere. But when your father offered me command, I couldn’t remember any of that. In that moment, all I could think was, Don’t let them take me away from Radames.”
“Oh,” said Radames. “Oh.”
Jahi flushed, the tips of his ears going pink, and he ducked his head. “I won’t let my personal feelings get in the way of my duty, Your Highness,” he said, oddly formal. “I swear it.”
“Oh, gods,” said Radames. “I’m an idiot. I mean, no, I’m a genius, but just now, about this… I wasn’t afraid I was going to die.”
“I- What?” said Jahi.
“When I was attacked, the assassination attempt. I knew there was a chance that I could die, but I wasn’t afraid of that. I was afraid you would die.”
“Oh,” said Jahi.
Radames snorted a laugh. “I just didn’t realize… I’ve never had anyone I was afraid of losing, before.”
“Me, neither,” said Jahi.
“So, you really want to stay?” Radames asked, slowly. “With me?”
“Yes,” said Jahi, stepping closer. “Yes.”
Radames closed the space between them with one long stride to cup his hands around Jahi’s face for a long, deep kiss.
“Yes,” Jahi said again, breathless.
Who’s Who:
Rodney McKay as Radames, second-born prince
John Sheppard as Jahi, head of the prince’s guard
Jeannie Miller (technically) as Jumoke, first-born prince
Evan Lorne as Geb, member of the prince’s guard
Chapter Two
Current Mood:
clean