MEME: Arranged Marriage AU

[frozenfractals]

We were craving a meme, so after some digging around, we've got something new and different for you guys, with a huge hat-tip to the bakerstreet RP memes comm (original post here). Let's get some of those marriage feels sorted.

Time to get your faux-historical/fantasy novel on. For today's meme, your pup is getting married, whether they want to or not. It's arranged marriages time!

HOW IT WORKS
❧ Post a comment with your character's name and any preferences. This should include whether you're open to full threads or mostly dialogue, Test Drive-style, if you have a preference.
❧ If there's a specific set of circumstances you like best, set the scene.
❧ Or leave your comment blank and let others use RNG to choose the scenario. Feel free to mix and match.
❧ Or even just write drabbles to any (or none) of the prompts.
❧ Please note the prompts below are merely suggestions and you're more than welcome to come up with your own situation.
❧ Have fun!

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR MARRIAGE
1) Station → You come from a royal, noble, or otherwise distinguished family who has chosen a suitable spouse for you.
2) Feud → You are being married to put an end to the bitter enmity between your two families.
3) Economics → Your economic state and/or your station will improve through the union, though one of you may be marrying down.
4) Empire → You and your spouse are merging your businesses and/or property to create something more influential or profitable.
5) Tribute → You have been offered as a gift or appeasement; alternately you're the spoils of war.
6) Bloodline → Carrying on your distinguished family name has fallen to you and the equally well-bred spouse of your family's selection.
7) Disapproval → Your marriage has been arranged to keep you away from the person with whom you truly wish to be.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
1) First meeting → This is the very first time you're meeting your future spouse.
2) Courtship → To get to know each other and encourage affection, your family has approved of you going on dates.
3) Engagement party → Be it a huge, formal affair or a small, intimate get together, you're celebrating (or pretending).
4) Wedding day → The big day!
5) Reception → The big party!
6) Wedding night → Every meme needs a smut prompt, right?
7) Honeymoon → Where will you go with your new spouse and what will you do there?

Comments

[du_vallon]

"You fought well," he praises, but it's laden with some anger given that his ability to fight had landed Porthos in this situation. "Porthos," he says, following after Athos as they move. "No last name," he adds, but there's a defiant sort of pride in that, as if he feels deliberately happy to say so. If this whole 'forced marriage' goes through (and Porthos is beginning to think the Cardinal wants it for some illicit reason) then he supposes he might have one, but it wouldn't be of his choosing.

He peeks his head inside the room. "This is where you sleep?" he asks dubiously.

[somepoorsoul]

“That doesn’t mean I approve of this method of reward.” Athos rolls his eyes, but does not bother to answer the question. Though the room has been recently aired, it is clear that no one has slept here in some time. “Put your things down.”

A beat. “And tell me how you could fight for someone who would sell her best soldiers, rather than negotiate for their safety."

[du_vallon]

Porthos crosses his arms over his chest, knowing it's impressive. He'd been scrawny, but recently, training and learning how to fight has given him a chance to bulk up. "When your choice is fighting for that woman or her blowing up your home and killing all your friends and the people you love, it's not very hard," he says, even if he hadn't tried very hard when fighting against the king. He shoots Athos a disbelieving look, gesturing to his lack of things.

He does push his sword onto the bed, then the bandanna. It's a sad state of affairs, but it's his life. "Besides, no one else wants a thief like me," he says, lifting up Athos' purse, having picked it off him during the walk. He hands it back to him, having only wanted to prove he could do it.

[somepoorsoul]

“If I had seen you fight, I wouldn’t have given a damn what you were before.” For the first time, there is a glint of appreciation in his eyes when he looks Porthos up and down. With something that’s nearly a smile, he snatches back the purse. “Such skill should not be wasted on the machinations of Marie d’Medici."

[du_vallon]

"Then you should've threatened to blow up the Court first," is Porthos light-hearted, sharp reply. He reaches out to grip Athos' hand when he reaches for the purse, curiosity on his face. "Did you? See me fight?"

[somepoorsoul]

Athos’ eyes flash. “I don’t threaten innocent people.” He pulls from the touch, but with no real effort, gaze fixed on Porthos’. “You’re difficult to miss."

[du_vallon]

Porthos inclines his head to the side, having already decided that the Comte was a decent man, but this is only helping in his esteem. "Yeah, well, I'm fairly sure the Cardinal counted on me being a touch angrier about my station here. I think he wanted me to give you some trouble, but the problem is that he doesn't know how much I want a place to call home and how much I appreciate tall, dark, handsome men."

[somepoorsoul]

Unexpectedly for such a stony-faced man, Athos blushes and looks away, his reddened cheeks bringing surprisingly boyish freckles to the fore. He is keenly aware that his wrist is still in the man’s grip. “As you may have guessed, the Cardinal and I are not friends,” is all he says, forcing himself to look back impassively.

[du_vallon]

Very slowly, Porthos drags his thumb up and down the bones of Athos' wrist, settling on the pulse so he can keep it there and assess whether it jumps while they speak. "I don't think that man has a genuine friend in the world," Porthos notes. "Imagine my surprise when it turned out that he was one of the good guys," he snorts. He leans in a step more, eyes scanning Athos' face. "Do you always colour so easily?"

[somepoorsoul]

Athos snorts, nearly laughs. Tensions as high as they have been in France have led men who otherwise hated each other to level insults at their greatest peril; Athos hasn’t dared speak against the Cardinal openly, not when to do so has meant to speak against the king. “ ‘Good’?” he murmurs, still unsure if they are truly good, or only lucky. He doesn’t answer Porthos’ question, only reply with a shiver he tries to possess, “You are bold."

[du_vallon]

"I'm a thief from the Court who's been given as a prize to a noble house," Porthos points out, finally letting go of Athos to wander to the bed, sitting on it and bouncing slightly to test out its mettle. "And I like handsome men, I already said that." He misses Charon and Flea, already, having gone to other places. He misses their touches and their warmth and he misses their home, but all things considered, he could have found worse places.

"Especially when they're as talented with a sword as you are."

[somepoorsoul]

“Then you have seen me fight as well.” Athos takes a step towards the bed, unable to look away from this man who is proud and playful even in his captivity. This is all meant to be some joke of Richlieu’s - Athos hates to give in to temptation on that fact alone - but the war has been a long and wearying one, the estate, since his father's death, as cold and empty of life as the blood-soaked battlefields.

And Porthos brings life with him; that cannot be denied.

[du_vallon]

"A sword moving that swiftly and furiously in the crowd? No, you can't miss that," Porthos agrees, having felt a great envy and wish to learn. He barely knows how to fire a pistol and he's good with knives, but his true talent is with his fists. He'd like to be elegant, though, and learn how to fight. Porthos tips his head to the side, nudging off his tan cloak so it sprawls in a pool on the bed. "Does anyone get a bath around here?"

[somepoorsoul]

Athos is a modest man by nature, but one who is aware of his talents, and when they are pointed out, he only nods faintly in acknowledgement. The question makes him roll his eyes faintly; for someone who likes to point out that he is a prisoner, he certainly can have a demanding air about him. “I’ll have a servant draw you one."

[du_vallon]

"Nah, not for me," he drawls lazily. "You. You've got this tense look in your shoulders that makes you look a bit like you're ready to burst," he says, arching a brow. "You should get one of your men to draw you a hot bath. Or is that something you expect your spoil of war to do for you? Flea always said I had good, relaxing hands."

[somepoorsoul]

Athos eyes the man skeptically. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," he deadpans. His gaze darts around the room; he swallows, takes a step back. "I should leave you to rest. There's a bell, if you need anything."

[du_vallon]

Porthos leans back and eyes the bell, reaching for it in order to ring it, a smirk lingering on his face as he regards Athos. "And does it summon you?" is what he'd like to know.

[somepoorsoul]

Athos stills, though he knows he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t be tempted by this man’s playful leers, especially when the entire situation is so detestable.

“Depends if I wish to be summoned."

[du_vallon]

Porthos watches him, yet, though his eyes are much lower when it comes to where his attention lies. "Right," he muses. "Well, in that case, I'll be here, alone, in this great big bed of yours that you've given me. All night. In whatever clothes I have to sleep and given I've none..." he trails off, leaving Athos to take whatever implications from that he likes.

[somepoorsoul]

With a quiet, careful exhale, Athos turns to face him and lifts a brow. “For someone who has become a prisoner against his will, you do seem to be enjoying this."

[du_vallon]

"I have a roof over my head, food on a table, and a handsome man who apparently flushes the prettiest colours when I poke at him," Porthos points out, a wondrous look on his face as though he's curious what part of that is objectionable. "What's so bad in all that? Pride? Yeah, but pride was gone a long time ago."

[somepoorsoul]

It’s not the answer he expected - but then, Athos isn’t sure what he expected. Not this casual acceptance of fate, not those playful compliments that make him blush. He feels frozen to the spot by the man’s bluntness, by his casual willingness to dismiss honor and pride for the sake of survival.

“What happened to those who wouldn’t fight?” he asks. “Or couldn’t?"

[du_vallon]

A dark look storms over Porthos' face at the reminder and he truly wishes that the man hadn't brought it up. "Things," is what he says. "They might not have blown up the Court, but they did plenty to make sure that the people within it didn't think they had a choice. Marie de Medici is a cunning and cruel woman," he says. "They certainly didn't get the lot that I did, coming here for you."

[somepoorsoul]

There’s the fury he had expected from the sneering contents of Richlieu’s letter, though it flashes only briefly before it disappears. Athos is relieved, in a way - a man resigned to his fate, no matter how blithely, is an unsettling thing to behold, especially for one who favors duty and honor as Athos does. “And it does not trouble you that you are still a pawn, meant to annoy me?”

Without meaning to, he has drifted closer to the bed.

[du_vallon]

"It'd trouble me more if my annoying you was having effect, but it's only seeming to intrigue you," Porthos says with a bemused smile, given that instead of being annoyed, he looks interested. "Not to mention that I sort of plan to get something out of this beyond steady lodgings. Maybe you could teach me to fight with a sword?"