30 Days of Writing: Restless
Like a Circle in the Water
30 Days of Writing - A Drabble A Day Challenge
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Characters/Pairings: Prussia/England
Summary: Arthur resolves to wait ten days before approaching Gilbert for an answer to his request; it doesn’t take long for him to become impatient for the verdict. Medieval AU.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Restless
Ten days.
Arthur wills himself to wait for ten days before approaching Gilbert for an answer, and never before has he known time to pass so slowly.
The request had been made almost on a whim when he had found himself before the other, thinking only to find a way to make it possible to interact with the fair haired swordsman. Gilbert is interesting, talented and so very different to anyone else he has encountered. Master Geoffrey’s lectures have given him the opportunity to observe Gilbert from a distance, though rather than sating his curiosity he merely feels more intrigued.
While he had thought of the excuse to meet - the practice duels - on the spot, it is certainly true that he stands to gain a lot from the arrangement.
He can only wonder at how attractive the idea will be to Gilbert, however.
Arthur resolves to leave Gilbert alone for ten days, but finds himself going mad with impatience by day two. Staying out of Master Geoffrey’s notice becomes increasingly difficult as he fiddles with his stationary and taps his foot against the leg of his desk. His mother scolds him when she notices him chewing his lip in thought, a habit that had been drummed out of him years ago. Gawain frowns at him from time to time and pauses as though to ask if he’s all right, before thinking better of it and turning away with furrowed brows; he knows Arthur well enough to be aware of the fact that Arthur will only speak his mind on his own terms.
Their cousin from the east arrives, visiting with his family for a few days and providing Arthur with a distraction of sorts. Being the youngest in his family has meant that Arthur is charged with Peter’s wellbeing whenever the two are in the same general vicinity. Arthur likes to think of this special form of torture as an exercise in futility designed to build character. It is the only way he is able to get through such visits with how wilful Peter can often be.
Two and a half days pass as he chases the little terror around the castle, and by the time his cousin has left Arthur is feeling utterly exhausted. Even so, the thought that Gilbert may say ‘no’ feels like a constant niggling presence at the back of his mind.
Seven days after approaching Gilbert with his idea, Arthur decides that he’s had enough of waiting.
Gawain notes the sudden shift in Arthur’s expression over breakfast with an internal sigh of relief. He takes a moment to register the spark of determination in his brother’s wide green eyes, and to feel a small shred of pity for the one who will be facing his brother’s relentless tenacity. Turning his attention back to his scrambled eggs, Gawain has no idea how right he is.
Gilbert won’t know what hit him.
-
One hand already gripping the hilt of the sward strapped to his waist, Gilbert tenses for a moment, straining his ears. Tonight is the first night he is manning a section of the castle’s walls for guard duty without the supervision of a more experienced soldier, and while the quiet thud he thinks he heard is probably nothing to cause alarm, he is one to err on the side of caution and there is nothing worse than being caught unawares.
He doesn’t hear the sound a second time, so he allows his stance to relax a little. He lets his gaze sweep across the view before him, absently noting that what he is seeing is the opposite side of town to his residence, the forge. It is a peaceful sight, the normally bustling marketplace barren of both wares and people in a way that would never occur without the cover of night - though it would be more accurate to say it is now very early morning. The one ale house that can be seen from his perch had quieted just an hour ago after a small brawl had broken out; he had been too far removed to be able to determine the cause of the disturbance, but it was loud enough to draw the attention of the guards from their post nearby. The issue had been resolved quickly by the owner of the establishment before the guards had even been able to arrive at the scene. Gilbert is certain from experience that Berwald Oxenstierna’s expression alone would be enough to scare the fright out of the bravest of knights.
Gilbert’s musings are suddenly cut short as the vicinity is plunged into darkness, and he pushes himself off the wall with a flint in hand to re-light the lantern closest to him.
He completes the task quickly, turning to trot back to his position when the soft glow being cast on the stone grows steady. It is then that he hears the sound of a few soft, shuffling footsteps from the direction of the stairwell. It only lasts a couple of seconds but it is enough to put Gilbert on his guard as he creeps towards the archway with his sword drawn.
In retrospect, it is a very, very good thing that he had lit the lantern when he had.
A figure slides from the shadows, swift and surefooted, and Gilbert only has a moment to swing up his sword in his defence. The blade stops just short of his attacker’s throat as Gilbert recognises the messy mop of blond hair and striking green eyes.
Instead of backing off, Arthur merely grins at him and leans forward, forcing Gilbert to lean away in order to keep his sword from nicking the noble’s skin. They stare at each other over the blade for a moment in silence, before Gilbert lets out a long, slow breath and hisses, “What the hell are you doing here?”
His tone is anything but respectful, but his heart is still racing from the adrenaline of an unexpected encounter and he’s very conscious of the fact that he had almost beheaded the Baron’s son. He’s still grumbling to himself as Arthur sways back out of his personal space, sheathing his sword while muttering that little princelings should be in bed at this hour. He’s well aware that they are only a year apart in age, but he feels as though he is the one who has just had a recent brush with death and feeling far less charitable than he might otherwise.
Arthur is apparently feeling generous; he keeps his temper in check and stares Gilbert down without flinching. “I think we both know why we’re here, Weillschmidt.”
Gilbert drags a hand through his hair; Arthur is right, of course, and he knows Arthur’s reason for sneaking up here at the crack of dawn. He should have expected something like this, really, and Gilbert’s already kicking himself for his lack of foresight.
“Have you come to a decision?”
He’s been deliberating over Arthur’s proposal ever since hearing it; on the one hand, there were many risks. A commoner striking a noble, for whatever reason, always leads to trouble. And while Gilbert tends to court trouble with no qualms, he won’t allow it to follow him home, as it is prone to where nobility is concerned.
On the other hand, the prospect of being able to test his mettle against a noble is intriguing. Will there be a difference in technique? Gilbert has heard that Knights do not dabble in bare handed combat, while it is almost instinctive to those who live in the lower town and have grown accustomed to guarding their purses on every outing. There is also the matter of Arthur of the Kirkland house - the young lord who doesn’t seem to care about the difference in class and has let so much of Gilbert’s insubordination slide without batting an eyelid.
He has to admit, the kid is interesting.
“All right,” he sighs, a little resignation seeping into his voice. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he’d admit that his decision had mostly been made the day after Arthur had first spoken to him. “A practice bout to test the waters doesn’t sound unreasonable.” The slight smile Arthur aims at him at that makes him roll his eyes. “Now don’t you have somewhere to be? I still have the rest of my shift to go.”
Arthur shrugs a shoulder, one hand disappearing into the cloak draped over his shoulders to shield him from the morning chill to re-emerge producing a slab of hard cheese. Gilbert eyes it suspiciously for a moment, before accepting it.
Arthur stays for the remaining hour of his shift, content to lean silently against the wall as Gilbert concentrates on spotting any untoward movement outside the castle.
Gilbert finds that he doesn’t particularly mind the company.
~Hollyrose~
Notes:
So much for regular updates! >.< The chapters do seem to be getting longer though. I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or not XD
Also, you may or may not have noticed that I finally have a title for this AU! =D ‘A Circle in the Water’ is taken from a quote from Shakespeare’s King Henry VI:
"Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought."
Also want to say a big thank you to WhiteWings9 for help with editing!
30 Days of Writing - A Drabble A Day Challenge
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Characters/Pairings: Prussia/England
Summary: Arthur resolves to wait ten days before approaching Gilbert for an answer to his request; it doesn’t take long for him to become impatient for the verdict. Medieval AU.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Restless
Ten days.
Arthur wills himself to wait for ten days before approaching Gilbert for an answer, and never before has he known time to pass so slowly.
The request had been made almost on a whim when he had found himself before the other, thinking only to find a way to make it possible to interact with the fair haired swordsman. Gilbert is interesting, talented and so very different to anyone else he has encountered. Master Geoffrey’s lectures have given him the opportunity to observe Gilbert from a distance, though rather than sating his curiosity he merely feels more intrigued.
While he had thought of the excuse to meet - the practice duels - on the spot, it is certainly true that he stands to gain a lot from the arrangement.
He can only wonder at how attractive the idea will be to Gilbert, however.
Arthur resolves to leave Gilbert alone for ten days, but finds himself going mad with impatience by day two. Staying out of Master Geoffrey’s notice becomes increasingly difficult as he fiddles with his stationary and taps his foot against the leg of his desk. His mother scolds him when she notices him chewing his lip in thought, a habit that had been drummed out of him years ago. Gawain frowns at him from time to time and pauses as though to ask if he’s all right, before thinking better of it and turning away with furrowed brows; he knows Arthur well enough to be aware of the fact that Arthur will only speak his mind on his own terms.
Their cousin from the east arrives, visiting with his family for a few days and providing Arthur with a distraction of sorts. Being the youngest in his family has meant that Arthur is charged with Peter’s wellbeing whenever the two are in the same general vicinity. Arthur likes to think of this special form of torture as an exercise in futility designed to build character. It is the only way he is able to get through such visits with how wilful Peter can often be.
Two and a half days pass as he chases the little terror around the castle, and by the time his cousin has left Arthur is feeling utterly exhausted. Even so, the thought that Gilbert may say ‘no’ feels like a constant niggling presence at the back of his mind.
Seven days after approaching Gilbert with his idea, Arthur decides that he’s had enough of waiting.
Gawain notes the sudden shift in Arthur’s expression over breakfast with an internal sigh of relief. He takes a moment to register the spark of determination in his brother’s wide green eyes, and to feel a small shred of pity for the one who will be facing his brother’s relentless tenacity. Turning his attention back to his scrambled eggs, Gawain has no idea how right he is.
Gilbert won’t know what hit him.
-
One hand already gripping the hilt of the sward strapped to his waist, Gilbert tenses for a moment, straining his ears. Tonight is the first night he is manning a section of the castle’s walls for guard duty without the supervision of a more experienced soldier, and while the quiet thud he thinks he heard is probably nothing to cause alarm, he is one to err on the side of caution and there is nothing worse than being caught unawares.
He doesn’t hear the sound a second time, so he allows his stance to relax a little. He lets his gaze sweep across the view before him, absently noting that what he is seeing is the opposite side of town to his residence, the forge. It is a peaceful sight, the normally bustling marketplace barren of both wares and people in a way that would never occur without the cover of night - though it would be more accurate to say it is now very early morning. The one ale house that can be seen from his perch had quieted just an hour ago after a small brawl had broken out; he had been too far removed to be able to determine the cause of the disturbance, but it was loud enough to draw the attention of the guards from their post nearby. The issue had been resolved quickly by the owner of the establishment before the guards had even been able to arrive at the scene. Gilbert is certain from experience that Berwald Oxenstierna’s expression alone would be enough to scare the fright out of the bravest of knights.
Gilbert’s musings are suddenly cut short as the vicinity is plunged into darkness, and he pushes himself off the wall with a flint in hand to re-light the lantern closest to him.
He completes the task quickly, turning to trot back to his position when the soft glow being cast on the stone grows steady. It is then that he hears the sound of a few soft, shuffling footsteps from the direction of the stairwell. It only lasts a couple of seconds but it is enough to put Gilbert on his guard as he creeps towards the archway with his sword drawn.
In retrospect, it is a very, very good thing that he had lit the lantern when he had.
A figure slides from the shadows, swift and surefooted, and Gilbert only has a moment to swing up his sword in his defence. The blade stops just short of his attacker’s throat as Gilbert recognises the messy mop of blond hair and striking green eyes.
Instead of backing off, Arthur merely grins at him and leans forward, forcing Gilbert to lean away in order to keep his sword from nicking the noble’s skin. They stare at each other over the blade for a moment in silence, before Gilbert lets out a long, slow breath and hisses, “What the hell are you doing here?”
His tone is anything but respectful, but his heart is still racing from the adrenaline of an unexpected encounter and he’s very conscious of the fact that he had almost beheaded the Baron’s son. He’s still grumbling to himself as Arthur sways back out of his personal space, sheathing his sword while muttering that little princelings should be in bed at this hour. He’s well aware that they are only a year apart in age, but he feels as though he is the one who has just had a recent brush with death and feeling far less charitable than he might otherwise.
Arthur is apparently feeling generous; he keeps his temper in check and stares Gilbert down without flinching. “I think we both know why we’re here, Weillschmidt.”
Gilbert drags a hand through his hair; Arthur is right, of course, and he knows Arthur’s reason for sneaking up here at the crack of dawn. He should have expected something like this, really, and Gilbert’s already kicking himself for his lack of foresight.
“Have you come to a decision?”
He’s been deliberating over Arthur’s proposal ever since hearing it; on the one hand, there were many risks. A commoner striking a noble, for whatever reason, always leads to trouble. And while Gilbert tends to court trouble with no qualms, he won’t allow it to follow him home, as it is prone to where nobility is concerned.
On the other hand, the prospect of being able to test his mettle against a noble is intriguing. Will there be a difference in technique? Gilbert has heard that Knights do not dabble in bare handed combat, while it is almost instinctive to those who live in the lower town and have grown accustomed to guarding their purses on every outing. There is also the matter of Arthur of the Kirkland house - the young lord who doesn’t seem to care about the difference in class and has let so much of Gilbert’s insubordination slide without batting an eyelid.
He has to admit, the kid is interesting.
“All right,” he sighs, a little resignation seeping into his voice. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he’d admit that his decision had mostly been made the day after Arthur had first spoken to him. “A practice bout to test the waters doesn’t sound unreasonable.” The slight smile Arthur aims at him at that makes him roll his eyes. “Now don’t you have somewhere to be? I still have the rest of my shift to go.”
Arthur shrugs a shoulder, one hand disappearing into the cloak draped over his shoulders to shield him from the morning chill to re-emerge producing a slab of hard cheese. Gilbert eyes it suspiciously for a moment, before accepting it.
Arthur stays for the remaining hour of his shift, content to lean silently against the wall as Gilbert concentrates on spotting any untoward movement outside the castle.
Gilbert finds that he doesn’t particularly mind the company.
~Hollyrose~
Notes:
So much for regular updates! >.< The chapters do seem to be getting longer though. I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or not XD
Also, you may or may not have noticed that I finally have a title for this AU! =D ‘A Circle in the Water’ is taken from a quote from Shakespeare’s King Henry VI:
"Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought."
Also want to say a big thank you to WhiteWings9 for help with editing!