[Stargate: Fiction] "Compatibility of Souls: Ch. Three: An Unexpected Wife" [4/12] [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Chapter Three: An Unexpected Wife
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,350
Prompt: mcsheplets challenge #052 ‘destiny’
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney is a European weapons designer and John is a Chinese princess.
Chapter Three: An Unexpected Wife
Warning! This chapter contains historically-accurate sexism, and an arranged marriage that works out better than expected.
Khanbaliq, China
1294 A.D. (Yuan Dynasty)
“So, you’re leaving.”
Rodney jumped at the sudden sound, but didn’t turn. He continued packing his books carefully into the straw-lined crate. “You know I am.”
He heard two swishing-silk footsteps before Princess Jin appeared on the other side of his workbench. “Why?”
There were guards outside the door- there was always someone outside every door- but none of them had ever done anything to prevent the princess from spending what appeared to be nearly all of her time in his work room. Rodney had protested, at first. He didn’t need an audience, let alone a useless girl, but even he knew better than to actively insult a member of the royal family, and she stayed.
Princess Jin was quiet, watching him fill scrolls with strings of Arabic numbers, her face hidden behind her fan. Then one day, she had smudged out a chalk number on one of his slates and written another in its place- and she had been right.
Rodney had put her to work after that. Jin was smart, very smart, and her brain would have been wasted learning to dance or arrange flowers or whatever young ladies were supposed to learn, when she could easily do the tedious math Rodney hated.
He hadn’t known he would end up liking her, feeling lonely in the work room when she had other responsibilities, encouraging the increasingly-occurring slips when she said something clever and biting. Rodney tried to think of her like any other assistant, if a little shorter, but he caught himself noticing the curve of her shoulders as she bent over an equation, or the hint of her smile before she hid behind her fan.
Rodney put the lid on the crate with a bit more force than was necessary. “Because my service to your father is finished, Your Highness,” he said. “I’ve completed all the tests for the new weapons- all he has to do is produce a few more of them, and he can defeat his enemies, or rule China, or whatever else he wants.”
Jin took a step closer to the other side of the work bench, slender fingers sliding over the leather cover of one of his notebooks. “So, you’re leaving,” she said again. “After the wedding.”
“I didn’t come here looking for a wife,” said Rodney. “I didn’t even know that was an option. But it’s not like I can refuse, princess. In my experience, when royalty says We would be greatly pleased if… they really mean Do this or we will kill you."
“I wouldn’t let him kill you,” Jin said, although they both knew she had no real influence to stop the emperor doing anything.
Rodney sighed. “I will be good to your sister, Your Highness. I’m not a patient man. Or tactful, or thoughtful, or… But she won’t want for anything, as my wife. I’ll do my best to make her happy.”
Jin smiled. “I know that you will.”
Enlai was Jin’s only full sister, both daughters of the same mother, who was said to have been the most beautiful of the emperor’s wives. Jin had once told Rodney, matter-of-factly, that the emperor blamed her for her mother’s death in childbirth and had barely laid eyes on her since. Rodney had only met Enlai once before, but she was lovely and charming, and if she was anything at all like her sister, he would be able to like her.
Rodney closed the crate, and straightened. “Thank you, Your Highness, for all your help. I could have done it without you, of course, but it wouldn’t have been nearly so… satisfying.”
Jin bobbed into the odd curtsy that was the custom here, and Rodney bowed back. He turned and was almost at the door when Jin said, “Professor Rodney?”
He froze. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Thank you,” said Jin, softly. “For… for seeing me. For treating me like a person.”
“You are a person,” Rodney snapped. He took a deep breath, his back still to her. “If I had known the kind of ‘reward’ your father had in mind, if I had been allowed any say in the matter… I would not have chosen Princess Enlai.”
Jin didn’t answer, and when Rodney finally turned around, she was gone.
Rodney didn’t even try to sleep that night. He sat in the cushioned seat beneath his window, looking up at the stars and trying not to think about Jin’s ridiculous laugh or her sharp mind. He was still sitting there when the servants came to wake him the next morning, and he let them dress him in the elaborate and cumbersome wedding suit without a word of complaint.
The entire ceremony was in Chinese. A scribe, or some kind of minor official, sat beside Rodney to provide a running translation, but he ignored it. Rodney could only hear Enlai’s soft breathing from under the heavy silk veil, feel the warmth of her fingers where she had placed her hand over his.
Rodney fumbled over his part of the ceremony, probably mangling the pronunciation of the unfamiliar words, and he didn’t realize it was over until the crowd let out a cheer.
“His Imperial Majesty’s royal astrologer has foreseen that you will find great fortune if you depart at once, Professor McKay,” said the court official, still at his elbow. “Come, change your clothing into something more appropriate for the journey. Your bride will be prepared.”
“I- All right,” said Rodney.
Leaving immediately was for the best, he thought, changing back into his western-style clothes. He hadn’t seen Jin at the wedding, and if he didn’t see her now, before he left, he could pretend that the goodbye in his work room had been enough.
A servant came to lead him out to the wagon caravan, and the ornate carriage at its head.
“His Imperial Majesty sends his regards,” said the same minor official. “And his wishes for a safe journey. Your belongings are already loaded, and your bride awaits you.”
“Right,” said Rodney. “Um. Thank you.”
The official bowed, and left.
Rodney took a deep breath. This marriage might not have been his idea, but he had agreed to it. He had an obligation to Enlai, to her welfare and happiness, and he was going to do his best to fulfill it. With another deep breath, he opened the carriage door.
There was a woman sitting on the cushioned bench, still in the red silk brocade gown, but without the veil, and perhaps a few other layers, as well. She had her back to the far wall, knees drawn up to her chest, her long dark hair a curtain over her face. She looked up as Rodney stepped up into the carriage- and he froze.
It wasn’t Enlai. It was Jin.
“I’m sorry,” said Jin, before he could speak. “I know you didn’t want to get married. I know that Father forced you into it. But you said you wouldn’t have chosen Enlai, and I thought This is my chance. She didn’t want to go, to leave here, and I didn’t want to stay. So, I took her place.”
“You…” Rodney began, throat suddenly dry. “You switched places before the wedding?”
Jin nodded, her eyes on the floor. “Please don’t be angry. I know I’ll never be as good a wife as Enlai would have been, but I’ll try, I promise. I’ll-”
“Jin,” Rodney interrupted, breathless. “I’d have chosen you. If I could have, I’d have chosen you.”
Jin smiled, so bright that it made the carriage lantern seem dim. “Rodney,” she said, getting to her feet.
He took a step closer, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear- when the carriage lurched into motion. Rodney let out a surprised yelp and toppled into the pile of cushions. Jin landed on top of him, a sudden blissful warmth all along his right side. His arm went around her automatically, and for a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, Jin’s lips curved into a smile. “We’re married,” she said, softly.
“Yes, we are,” Rodney agreed, and kissed her.
Who’s Who
Rodney McKay as a western weapon-maker
John Sheppard as Jin, a princess
Elizabeth Weir as Enlai, Jin’s sister, a princess
Chapter Four
Current Mood:
loved
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,350
Prompt: mcsheplets challenge #052 ‘destiny’
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney is a European weapons designer and John is a Chinese princess.
Chapter Three: An Unexpected Wife
Warning! This chapter contains historically-accurate sexism, and an arranged marriage that works out better than expected.
Khanbaliq, China
1294 A.D. (Yuan Dynasty)
“So, you’re leaving.”
Rodney jumped at the sudden sound, but didn’t turn. He continued packing his books carefully into the straw-lined crate. “You know I am.”
He heard two swishing-silk footsteps before Princess Jin appeared on the other side of his workbench. “Why?”
There were guards outside the door- there was always someone outside every door- but none of them had ever done anything to prevent the princess from spending what appeared to be nearly all of her time in his work room. Rodney had protested, at first. He didn’t need an audience, let alone a useless girl, but even he knew better than to actively insult a member of the royal family, and she stayed.
Princess Jin was quiet, watching him fill scrolls with strings of Arabic numbers, her face hidden behind her fan. Then one day, she had smudged out a chalk number on one of his slates and written another in its place- and she had been right.
Rodney had put her to work after that. Jin was smart, very smart, and her brain would have been wasted learning to dance or arrange flowers or whatever young ladies were supposed to learn, when she could easily do the tedious math Rodney hated.
He hadn’t known he would end up liking her, feeling lonely in the work room when she had other responsibilities, encouraging the increasingly-occurring slips when she said something clever and biting. Rodney tried to think of her like any other assistant, if a little shorter, but he caught himself noticing the curve of her shoulders as she bent over an equation, or the hint of her smile before she hid behind her fan.
Rodney put the lid on the crate with a bit more force than was necessary. “Because my service to your father is finished, Your Highness,” he said. “I’ve completed all the tests for the new weapons- all he has to do is produce a few more of them, and he can defeat his enemies, or rule China, or whatever else he wants.”
Jin took a step closer to the other side of the work bench, slender fingers sliding over the leather cover of one of his notebooks. “So, you’re leaving,” she said again. “After the wedding.”
“I didn’t come here looking for a wife,” said Rodney. “I didn’t even know that was an option. But it’s not like I can refuse, princess. In my experience, when royalty says We would be greatly pleased if… they really mean Do this or we will kill you."
“I wouldn’t let him kill you,” Jin said, although they both knew she had no real influence to stop the emperor doing anything.
Rodney sighed. “I will be good to your sister, Your Highness. I’m not a patient man. Or tactful, or thoughtful, or… But she won’t want for anything, as my wife. I’ll do my best to make her happy.”
Jin smiled. “I know that you will.”
Enlai was Jin’s only full sister, both daughters of the same mother, who was said to have been the most beautiful of the emperor’s wives. Jin had once told Rodney, matter-of-factly, that the emperor blamed her for her mother’s death in childbirth and had barely laid eyes on her since. Rodney had only met Enlai once before, but she was lovely and charming, and if she was anything at all like her sister, he would be able to like her.
Rodney closed the crate, and straightened. “Thank you, Your Highness, for all your help. I could have done it without you, of course, but it wouldn’t have been nearly so… satisfying.”
Jin bobbed into the odd curtsy that was the custom here, and Rodney bowed back. He turned and was almost at the door when Jin said, “Professor Rodney?”
He froze. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Thank you,” said Jin, softly. “For… for seeing me. For treating me like a person.”
“You are a person,” Rodney snapped. He took a deep breath, his back still to her. “If I had known the kind of ‘reward’ your father had in mind, if I had been allowed any say in the matter… I would not have chosen Princess Enlai.”
Jin didn’t answer, and when Rodney finally turned around, she was gone.
Rodney didn’t even try to sleep that night. He sat in the cushioned seat beneath his window, looking up at the stars and trying not to think about Jin’s ridiculous laugh or her sharp mind. He was still sitting there when the servants came to wake him the next morning, and he let them dress him in the elaborate and cumbersome wedding suit without a word of complaint.
The entire ceremony was in Chinese. A scribe, or some kind of minor official, sat beside Rodney to provide a running translation, but he ignored it. Rodney could only hear Enlai’s soft breathing from under the heavy silk veil, feel the warmth of her fingers where she had placed her hand over his.
Rodney fumbled over his part of the ceremony, probably mangling the pronunciation of the unfamiliar words, and he didn’t realize it was over until the crowd let out a cheer.
“His Imperial Majesty’s royal astrologer has foreseen that you will find great fortune if you depart at once, Professor McKay,” said the court official, still at his elbow. “Come, change your clothing into something more appropriate for the journey. Your bride will be prepared.”
“I- All right,” said Rodney.
Leaving immediately was for the best, he thought, changing back into his western-style clothes. He hadn’t seen Jin at the wedding, and if he didn’t see her now, before he left, he could pretend that the goodbye in his work room had been enough.
A servant came to lead him out to the wagon caravan, and the ornate carriage at its head.
“His Imperial Majesty sends his regards,” said the same minor official. “And his wishes for a safe journey. Your belongings are already loaded, and your bride awaits you.”
“Right,” said Rodney. “Um. Thank you.”
The official bowed, and left.
Rodney took a deep breath. This marriage might not have been his idea, but he had agreed to it. He had an obligation to Enlai, to her welfare and happiness, and he was going to do his best to fulfill it. With another deep breath, he opened the carriage door.
There was a woman sitting on the cushioned bench, still in the red silk brocade gown, but without the veil, and perhaps a few other layers, as well. She had her back to the far wall, knees drawn up to her chest, her long dark hair a curtain over her face. She looked up as Rodney stepped up into the carriage- and he froze.
It wasn’t Enlai. It was Jin.
“I’m sorry,” said Jin, before he could speak. “I know you didn’t want to get married. I know that Father forced you into it. But you said you wouldn’t have chosen Enlai, and I thought This is my chance. She didn’t want to go, to leave here, and I didn’t want to stay. So, I took her place.”
“You…” Rodney began, throat suddenly dry. “You switched places before the wedding?”
Jin nodded, her eyes on the floor. “Please don’t be angry. I know I’ll never be as good a wife as Enlai would have been, but I’ll try, I promise. I’ll-”
“Jin,” Rodney interrupted, breathless. “I’d have chosen you. If I could have, I’d have chosen you.”
Jin smiled, so bright that it made the carriage lantern seem dim. “Rodney,” she said, getting to her feet.
He took a step closer, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear- when the carriage lurched into motion. Rodney let out a surprised yelp and toppled into the pile of cushions. Jin landed on top of him, a sudden blissful warmth all along his right side. His arm went around her automatically, and for a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, Jin’s lips curved into a smile. “We’re married,” she said, softly.
“Yes, we are,” Rodney agreed, and kissed her.
Who’s Who
Rodney McKay as a western weapon-maker
John Sheppard as Jin, a princess
Elizabeth Weir as Enlai, Jin’s sister, a princess
Chapter Four
Current Mood:
loved