|
Post by France on Jun 11, 2011 15:33:29 GMT -5
"Half does not sound bad.”
Francis smiled almost deviously at the response. It sounded as though he would indeed be able to get things to go as he had hoped. Just that simple sentence rekindled the spark of fiery insistence and hope in his chest as he stared at the Spaniard with an ecstatic look. The other’s cheerful tone was another good sign. A less enthusiastic Spain was a bad thing for making deals.
"Not a bad deal considering the fact that I would be jumping on board a bit late. Say, you have been standing for so long, please sit down!"
Francis obediently sat down next to the chipper looking Spaniard, feeling a rush of pride as his ability to negotiate. His boss would surely be thrilled by his ability to make any sort of decent agreement with Spain. He had went in with a few doubts that he would be able to convince Antonio to stand back and not help Naples, but now things were looking so much better and he could almost see the silver lining to those clouds. Gently smoothing a few wavy locks of golden hair out of his face, Francis gave the other man his full attention once more. Spain reached over and placed a hand on his arm, and the Frenchman’s smile broadened, his gaze shifting lustily from the hand on his arm to the attractive man attached to it. If all things went to plan, he was hoping the night would be good in many different ways.
"Say, there is quite a few Italian States to go through until you reach Rome, how about I give you a hand and send my own army as well, coming out of Sicilia?"
Francis’ eyes lit up at the other man’s words. He had not expected that much help, though he had hoped for it all along. The idea that Spain would send his own army to assist was downright delightful. “There are so many Italian states to get through.” He agreed with a chuckle. “Your help would of course be very appreciated, mon ami. Coming out of Sicilia, you say?” Immediately, his power hungry mind raced with the militaristic possibilities that would provide him. Of course his boss would be far better at strategies than he would, so it was best not to plan right away.
"Oh come on now, Francis, why don't we celebrate this decision? Please drink up."
Francis nodded joyfully at the words. “Oui, let’s celebrate to our victory and all we are destined to gain.” Raising his glass, he finished off his wine as well. The alcohol had such a soothing effect, and made his vision swim for a moment as he studied his companion. It seemed so hot in the room now, and everything seemed so much more blissful. He never had been the best at holding his liquor. All too often in his own lands the blonde would find himself drinking too much wine and then waking up in unfamiliar places surrounded by unfamiliar company. Not that he ever minded. Any company was good company so long as the pleasures of the flesh could be satiated.
He was not completely wasted yet, and he reminded himself that he should slow down on the heavenly rich wine if he wanted to take full advantage of the night and its possibilities. A bit clumsily for someone who liked to think he embodied grace, Francis struggled to loosen his outfit a bit more. “It’s so hot in here, Antonio.” The blonde murmured in what he hoped was a seductive tone. “How can you stand to wear all that?” he gestured towards the Spaniard’s clothing before reaching for the wine jug. As carefully as he could, he tipped the wine above the other nation’s glass, not really noticing whether or not the wine actually hit the glass or the table, but not particularly caring at this point.
Out of politeness he poured some in his own glass, and raised it lazily in a toast. “To a quick victory.” __________________________ ((Feel free to completely ignore and avert any passes France makes at Antonio. XD Also, I apologize for being so slow with this one. I meant to have it done much sooner.))
|
|
|
Post by Spain on Jun 21, 2011 23:43:51 GMT -5
Antonio continued to smile at Francis as they toasted to a partnership well formed. Well, at least for now, based on past experiences, his king was always the type to watch the situation closely, agreeing to alliances as they suited him and then pulling out when the alliance proved to be a burden. Lost in his thoughts, he found himself trying to figure out how this would end up playing for them -- after all, it was no secret that the French king wanted control over the Italian states for a while and well, perhaps the Crown of Aragón just found it amusing (and beneficial) to pull the rug out from under the French. Granted, after the years of invasion of Catalunya, Navarro and Valencia, it would not be surprising that Fernando would feel a sense of animousity of his neighbors. Though, the Spaniard made it a point not to mention that, a rarity since he often would use that as an excuse or better, as a joke.
Considering how Francis acted the last time he pulled off something like that, well, it seemed safe to say that the Frenchman was less than thrilled at the antics that they pulled.
However, despite the fact that he was grinning widely, a slight flush to his cheeks from smiling too much, amongst some others, he could feel the weight of not only the Crown of Sicilia sitting in his hands, but that of Naples as well. But then again, that was something that would continue to be a vision until the actual reality happened. And well, it was good that France was willing to take on the extra help, no, he was relieved. If something should go wrong and France insist that the Spaniards stay otu of the affairs of the Italian states, he would be certain to get an earful from Fernando de Aragón for being so forgetful.
At this point, Antonio had been watching the jug of wine intently, aware of the fact that it would have soon run out. Sure, he was warm and feeling the effects of the alcohol. Tapping the hug, he pushed it aside so that it was out of their way. Swirling his glass lazily as he watched Francis down his wine, he chuckled before he took a sup and then lifted the stem of the goblet to down the rest of the wine. It was always good to drink in celebration, as Isabel had always told him, but not to get so intoxicated, the body was created in the image of God or something and well, it was not as if Antonio knew too much of what would happen after.
However, Francis apparently liked his wine and well, at this rate, he just might find out.
"You're warm?" Antonio said as he got up, "well, I guess it's a bit stuffy in here, let me pull back one of these drapes, our evenings here are a bit cooler and so it would help cool this room, I think." then with that, he walked over to a window and pulled the massive cloth from the window, revealing the sky -- the sun had started to wander westward towards its bed, but the Spaniard knew that they still had many things to still discuss. Nevermind that their leaders were most likely meeting and discussing simliar matters, it had been an important topic that was important for the both of them to understand.
"By the way, I'm afraid that you may not have had a chance to look at this, but check out the view!" Antonio said as the sunlight poured through the window, "no view you got during your travels can beat this!"
|
|
|
Post by France on Jun 23, 2011 17:41:13 GMT -5
The motion of Spain pushing the jug away from them had not gone unnoticed by the buzzed nation, and he wondered if Spain had any idea what he was up to by constantly wanting to re-fill their glasses. Probably not, the other could be so naïve sometimes when it came to Francis’ sinful advances. Or at least, he seemed that way to Francis. As far as he knew, the Spaniard’s seemingly carefree and inattentive attitude was all the more apparent concerning things related to romance, lust and love.
"You're warm?"
The words made Francis smile slightly as he watched the other man rise from his seat. His ideas about Spain’s naïve nature just seemed to be showcased by that simple statement. That was alright though, he liked a challenge and eventually he was sure that he would be able to seduce the other nation yet. The blonde always was an optimist concerning these sorts of things. He honestly believed that there were few nations or people alike that could resist him.
“Well, I guess it's a bit stuffy in here, let me pull back one of these drapes, our evenings here are a bit cooler and so it would help cool this room, I think."
Though he had not initially meant for Spain to take him quite so literally with his statements, Francis did approve of getting some cooler air in the room. Alcohol had a way of heating the body up as well as the mind, and he felt far warmer now than he had upon entering the palace. Although a breeze might help dash his plans of getting his partner hot enough to shed some of those burdensome layers of clothing. He could only hope that opening the window a bit wouldn’t spoil his plans completely, and that Antonio would still suddenly play into his hands.
Resting his elbow on the table and his head in his hand for a moment, the Frenchman watched as Antonio drew the drapes aside and revealed the colorful dusk outside. As soon as the window was opened a little, a pleasant, fragrant breeze blew in from outside, gently ruffling France’s hair just a little and making the whole room suddenly seem more of a comfortable temperature.
"By the way, I'm afraid that you may not have had a chance to look at this, but check out the view!"
“Il fait très beau, mon ami.” He confirmed, his gaze drawn to the beautiful scenery outside. The sun was a much darker shade or rich orange now-dipping so very close to the western horizon-and the sky was colored with pinks, reds and violets. The golden rays of sunlight were illuminating the scattered trees and city structures perfectly, giving the whole thing an even more breathtaking quality. It was all so very romantic. The kind of scene where he almost expected to hear musicians out with their fiddles and see dancing. For all he knew, there were Spaniards in other parts of the city doing just that.
“Non, no view from my travels can compare.” Francis admitted. In truth he had seen some pretty magnificent sunrises and sunsets in his years, but he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen one that seemed quite as vibrant as this one. He surely had, but the memory of such a sunset had escaped him over the years. “You have some very beautiful things in your lands, Antonio.”
Rising to his feet, he strode over to stand besides the other nation, happily swinging an arm around his shoulder. “So it’s agreed then? You’ll let me and my armies do what we need to do, and even send support from Sicilia?” He studied the man next to him with an inquisitive gaze, his eyes once more drawn to the man’s broad chest, watching the steady rise and fall of his breathing. “Then of course, we split the spoils between us. Sound fair, mon bon ami?” The Frenchman wanted to make sure that the other man understood their agreement, now that they had worked out the outline of it.
"If you think we've talked enough about business now, we can turn our attention to more pleasurable things if you would like." Francis murmured suggestively.
|
|
|
Post by Spain on Jun 28, 2011 23:39:35 GMT -5
The cooler evening breeze, a stark contrast to the noon wind brushed gently against Antonio's cheek as he successfully tied the drapes back. Pleased, he leaned against the window, resting his elbow on the table and his head in his hand for a moment. Despite the fact that he had spent a lot of time in Toledo, some time in Valencia and Barcelona since he had entered into the court of his current masters, it was hard to say that the view of Granada was anything like those places. Despite he fact that the quest had taken over four hundred years to complete, the fact that so much had been sacrificed and the royal treasury run dry, the exotic feel of the city, though still bearing traits of her Moorish father now recently converted as solemn sermon broke the quiet evening.
But perhaps it as Antonio's most favorite moment of all when he could see the red-orange sun descending into the horizon, leaving a sweep of rich royals and fiery shades in its wake.
Feeling the night air running through his slight curls, he smiled as he turned back. Clearly pleased that Francis approved, he leaned against the wall proudly. However, there was something about the way the golden rays colored the Moorish structures that reminded Antonio of the ghosts of war. For even as Boabdil rode out of the city, humble procession accompanying him as he fled potential persecution, claiming this final stronghold was not exactly easy -- and even now, he could sometimes see the leftover images of sultanas and slave girls running through the gardens of palace. "It really is something," he repeated as he looked back at Francis, "but I guess it must really be something if you are saying that nothing else you have seen compares!"
Then Francis spoke up again, his words of flattery causing even the typrically hardheaded Spaniard to show slight color at the compliment. But nevertheless, he was pleased as a look of nostalgia washed over his face as his olive green eyes looked forelornly out the city and over the scenery again. "Thanks, Francis, I'm glad that you agree -- there is still a lot of places that I have not seen, things I have not explored." For one thing, they had recently acquired the Kingdom of Navarro, must to the dismay of the French claimants -- and he had heard great things about those lands. "Francis, you know it would be nice if you would travel my lands, I think that you'd really get a lot out of it."
And stay out of my international affairs, he added under his breath as he grinned. He could only continue to hope tha somehow, there would be something that would draw Francis away from trying to claim the world stage for himself. Afer all, it would be less stressful for him (and a lot easier on his purse strings).
The sudden movement from the reclining country caused the Spaniard to stand up in alarm, confused by what was going on. As the Frenchmen threw his arm around him, he smiled and returned the gesture, looking into his sky blue eyes. "Well, if that's what you need, sounds good to me, so long as I get my fair share of Naples," he reaffirmed Francis's inquiry as he ran a hand down his doublet to smooth it out. Though he had given his word, the majoriy of the negotiations would be continued later -- between Fernando and Luis.
But Antonio had never really one to care for the details, after all, it was he grand scheme of things tha mattered the most. "Hm?" he said distracedly, Francis's body heat was causing the room to feel warmer as he looked at him inquisitively, "pleasurable things? Talk about war is pretty dry and all that, though, you would not believe some neat things that have happened lately!"
Notes: - My "t" key is broken.
|
|
|
Post by France on Jul 1, 2011 0:50:42 GMT -5
"But I guess it must really be something if you are saying that nothing else you have seen compares!"
Francis had of course not brought up that he had not been including his own lands in his flattering statement. As beautiful as Spain was- both the land and the nation spirit himself-Francis’ vanity would not allow him to even compare that beauty to his own. True, the sun set this evening was far more beautiful than anything he had seen in his travels through Spain, so far. But as far as France was concerned, nothing could compare to the beauty that was his own rich, lush countryside. Especially in the early hours of dawn, when the grass was coated in a fine mist of dew, the air was crisp, and the sun was just coloring the sky in the east.
He believed Antonio when the other had said that he did not travel as much as he liked. It was strange, since he and Spain both did an insane amount of traveling to both other known countries or new lands, but the world was so vast that even with his vanity France knew that he had not seen all there was to see. There were probably tons of uncharted lands out there; lands that neither he or Spain had explored yet. So as much as they had traveled all over Europe, he also felt that he had not traveled as much as he would like. Heck, he hadn’t even traveled through too much of Antonio’s lands yet.
As if reading his thoughts, the Spaniard had been quick to bring that fact up, suggesting that Francis travel his lands more. The Frenchman had continued to smile, but had remained silent at the suggestion. He didn’t have time for such travels right now-not with his busy schedule. Spain had to have known this, right? So a part of him had to wonder what the Spaniard had been implying with that idea. Unless he wished Francis to turn his eyes away from Italy for a bit and go for a ride in the countryside instead. As eager as France was to explore all things Spanish, he wasn’t willing to take a break anytime soon to do it.
"Well, if that's what you need, sounds good to me, so long as I get my fair share of Naples."
Francis gave a light laugh, giving his ally’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. He knew the thought of Naples would have some impact on swaying his Spanish friend. Then again, the thought of gaining new land was surely something that would sway any country. Especially if the land in question was choice land, with rich cultural aspects and value of some sort.
"Hm? pleasurable things? Talk about war is pretty dry and all that, though, you would not believe some neat things that have happened lately!"
Francis stared at his companion distractedly. How could someone so attractive be so clueless sometimes? It was typical though from what he knew of the Spaniard. Not that he knew tons about him personally, but he had gathered that his new ally was not half as sexual of a creature as he was. Not on the surface anyways. But underneath that tantalizing exterior, Francis just knew there secretly had to be a seductive, sexy beast just waiting to be unleashed. All he needed to do was push Antonio into the proper line of thinking. Which was going to be more difficult than he had originally thought with the man wanting to talk about current events and not love.
Retaining his amicable smile, Francis managed to avoid showing his inner dismay at the change of topic. It wasn’t that he didn’t agree that war could be dull to talk about. No, he agreed one hundred percent with that. The blonde had hoped to push the conversation into more sensual waters though. Staring at Spain, he had to remind himself that patience was often the key to success. He would need to be patient in order to get what he wanted. Which was hard, given the close proximity to the dark haired country and the effects of the wine he had had, which were taking away some of his inhibitions.
“What neat things, Antonio?” the French nation asked politely. “Anything…romantic… perhaps?” he gave the other nation a devious grin. “War and strategies may be dull topics sometimes, but romance and amour are perfect counters to that dullness, oui?” Depending on how the Spaniard would reply to that, he was still hopeful that he would be able to push the conversation into the direction he wanted before it got much later.
|
|
|
Post by Spain on Jul 15, 2011 23:44:50 GMT -5
"... as long as I get my fair share of Naples."
Hearing the last part about Naples, Antonio could not help but laugh at the comment and waved it off as if to signify that he had not forgotten the deal that they had already made. And no, though he had been told that he had a great knack for missing the point of a lot of conversations (though he stubbornly insists that he was always an attentive and conscientious listener), he found it more difficult to admit that there were times where he was not really trying. Tilting his head in thought, he shook his head as if to push the thought out of his mind.
If he thought like this too much, all that they had done up to this point would be pointless.
But all the same, a clear conscious convinced him to at least be conscientious of what he said to the Frenchmen. For at the moment, Fernándo had commanded him to remain a friend to the subordinate of his cousin (said with a hint of amusement and a pinch of sarcasm). It was no secret that the king, the more shrewd of his masters, had been secretly meeting with the pope. The man had come begging for protection against invasion, fearing what could happen should men come in swarm, raping and pillaging as they did in the last war that took place. But the Spanish Crown was quick to pick up on cues, after all, it was the Church that issued the bull that granted them the domain that they had now, it was the Church that had allowed for the union of Castilla and Aragon... and it was the Church that had allowed them to work diligently to bring the Lord's kingdom to earth. The French, formidable and ambitious, continued to toe the lines that defined territory. The Italian states were alarmed, especially the king's cousin Fernándo.
After all, with the threat of invasion, his very existence was at stake.
And though he had not been paying much attention before, the Spaniard could not help but notice that Francis was acting marginally strange. No, it was not that they were in disagreement -- they had just made a deal, so that could hardly be the reason. But then again, the man was French.Someone his people had been at odds with before and well, he just accepted it as such. He would get scolded if that went as such.
When Francis asked him, the Spaniard paused for a moment before laughing heartily. The Frenchmen was as the rumors say, though it was not exactly his position to judge -- no one was. "Neat things like how some of our men came back from the New World, they found gold... and these pretty neat plants," he said cheerfully, "I have been over there a few years ago, when I was younger, but it was so hard for you to believe. The water was pristine! You can see the bottom of the ocean. The sky is just perfect and I could just go on and on about this place, but nothing can ever describe what I saw." Then with that, he beamed and proceeded to walk over to his chair and took a seat beofre gesturing to the other chair.
|
|
|
Post by France on Jul 19, 2011 16:30:43 GMT -5
Francis’ determination to steer the topic into naughty waters was clearly rivaled only by Antonio’s innocent ignorance concerning the Frenchman’s goal. That, and his enthusiasm for his travels to the New World were surely killing France’s attempts for the time being, making a small frown tug at the corners of his lips. But France was quick to re-enforce his look of happy curiosity again and he studied the Spaniards with a polite expression of interest despite the ruined attempts.
It wasn’t that talk of the New World was uninteresting though. Francis couldn’t help but be interested at the remark about gold and curious plants. Well, the gold was more interesting than the plants for sure, but both had their interest value. Images of himself draped in fine golden jewelry while standing in an exotic environment were quick to fill his mind, making France smile in earnest. He would certainly love some of those riches himself. Perhaps in the not so distant future it would be nice to send some people over to the new world to explore on a major scale. More riches could only be a good thing in such war-filled times. Perhaps his people could find large amounts of gold and other valuable resources as well. He mentally added it to his list of things to do.
"I have been over there a few years ago, when I was younger, but it was so hard for you to believe. The water was pristine! You can see the bottom of the ocean. The sky is just perfect and I could just go on and on about this place, but nothing can ever describe what I saw."
For a moment Francis’ lust for intimate contact was pushed to the back burner as he tried to imagine being able to see the ocean floor. That water would have to be like glass! The description painted a beautiful image in his mind as he tried to imagine sailing out and being able to see all manner of strange and exotic sea creatures just by looking over the rail of the ship. He imagined that any ship in those types of waters would also be much safer from sea monsters. His sailors would surely be able to spot any monster from the depths before it got close enough to attack. If there actually were monsters in such heavenly sounding waters.
As Francis was still imagining crystalline waters and vivid skies, he became aware of Antonio moving away from him and taking a seat nearby, with a small gesture to a chair next to him. Disappointed because sitting in a chair was less romantic and interesting than leaning in close to someone, Francis took the chair anyways, but scooted it closer to the handsome Spaniard. “How can the ocean be so clear?” he wondered aloud, staring at Spain almost as though he expected him to laugh and say that he had been kidding about the whole description and that the New World was just like Europe in reality. “Surely you are telling tales, Antonio.” He gave a friendly laugh. “If what you say is true, then the New World sounds like a fascinating paradise.”
He wisely left off his thoughts that such a place was surely meant only for Francis himself and his people. “Were there any native people’s living there? Or was it just a natural paradise full of fauna?” It seemed strange to imagine a group of people living in such an isolated place, so he naturally assumed that Spain and his explorers had been alone there.
His interest peaked, Francis gave another glance to the window to estimate the time. With the sun setting so far it was surely getting late and they would need to retire soon. Torn between his desire to continue to pursue the naïve Spaniard for intimate reasons, and his natural curiosity concerning foreign lands and conquest, Francis stared at Spain with a look of keen interest and excitement. ________________________________ ((This is shortly before France started his own exploration of the New World I believe. Or any major exploration anyways. Although I think he will start in on that in like 20 something years. ))
|
|
|
Post by Spain on Jul 31, 2011 23:02:55 GMT -5
As Francis continued to entertain Antonio’s whims, he continued to chatter happily about his adventures. “I don’t know how the oceans can really be that clear, but it is,” he chirped, “and the vegetation is all green and strange looking, but still something to look at, it is almost like paradise on earth, a recreation of Eden that we had lost a long time ago.” With that, he swung a leg over the other as he leaned back against his chair comfortably. He took Francis’s gesture to mean that he was interested in what he was talking about. “Oh yeah, you would need to go over and see for yourself what it’s like if you’re that interested,” he said, running his hand through his hair and then taking a stray curl and wrapping it around his finger. Instinctively, the feeling that he may have said too much caused him to freeze internally for a moment, though he continued to wear his carefree smile on his face. Resting a hand on one of the arm rests of the chair, he sighed happily at the recollection before he turned and looked at Francis.
Noticing that it had gotten rather dark, he rested his head against his hand. Though he had been instructed to entertain the Frenchmen, he was fully aware of the fact that the agreement would take days to discuss. After all, judging from what he had seen during his younger days, there was always points of tension, agreements and sacrifices that were made on both sides. But given that, he knew that sitting in a room and having a conversation like this for the duration of the talks was not a good way to be a great host.
But after a while, after talking through several topics, Antonio stood up and stretched his form, stretching his limbs as he turned around. “Well that said, it must be boring sitting in this room chatting all day, let’s talk a walk around,” he said lazily as he pushed the chair back. “There’s ladies to charm, sights to see, secret passages to explore~” he said with a grin on his face as he looked back at Francis. “I’m not quite sure if there is anything else that you would need to finish up, but in case you are interested, I can always take you around. My room is on the second floor, in the east wing, so you can always knock if you need me, or just ask someone,” he explained as he gestured in the general direction. Despite the fact that Antonio himself had a very clean mind that rarely thought about the indecent (most of the time), he knew that Francis had well, he had always been a flirt and there was hardly a time when he did not catch the man charming the people around him. And given the situation, he was sure that Francis had probably seen enough of him for the day (seeing that he was a pretty masculine male).
Then with that, Antonio waited for Francis to get up and walked over to a wall and leaned against it. “I’m guessing that you don’t know how long you are gong to be staying, but I am sure that at a later date, I can take you around Granada and see some of the places that you have probably heard about when la reconquista took place.” Seeing that Francis was ready, he pulled open the door and left, keeping the door open as he waited for Francis to walk through. “By the way, I’m guessing that you have not really seen much of this palace either, am I right?” he said as he leaned against a lattice that decorated the corridor, “it’d be too bad if you didn’t get to see this whole place, you know. But hey, remind me to do that, when it’s lighter outside, it’s kind of hard to see the details in the designs when you don’t have light.” He flashed a sheepish grin as he placed a hand on his hip.
|
|
|
Post by France on Aug 2, 2011 16:31:51 GMT -5
Spain didn’t mention anything as to whether or not there had been people besides his own Spaniards in that crystalline paradise he had described. Francis took that to mean that they must have been alone as far as humans were concerned while they were there. Surely this New World was a place untouched or tainted by mankind. Which meant that there were plenty of resources to exploit and France should get in on that soon. How much happier and better off his own people would be draped in the gold and riches of this new land.
His blue eyes followed Antonio’s movement as the other nation idly toyed with his dark hair. Again the Frenchman’s thoughts were clouded with lust as he silently stared at Spain. He reminded himself that the negotiations would take a few days at least however, giving him plenty of time to seduce the other man to bed. As much as he hated being patient sometimes, it usually had better results than trying to rush things. Eventually, he was certain that his natural charm and powers of seduction would sway the Spaniard to his way of thinking, and he would be rewarded for his efforts. Until then, he allowed the conversation to wander off to different, casual topics.
Their various discussions lasted into the early part of the night. After a bit of silence in which France had been staring out the darkened window and considering what else to bring up, Spain rose to his feet and stretched.
“Well that said, it must be boring sitting in this room chatting all day. Let’s talk a walk around. There’s ladies to charm, sights to see, secret passages to explore~”
The Frenchman smiled in agreement. Talk was fine and all, but walking around and charming ladies sounded much more exciting to him. He was in a foreign palace after all, there was bound to be some interesting things to explore before he had to retire for the night. He listened intently as Spain offered to show him around later if he wanted, giving him directions to his personal room. Francis’ expression seemed to brighten even more. It was always good to know which room was Antonio’s for those late night attempts at seduction.
The blonde rose from his chair as well, stretching a bit himself before wandering closer to where Antonio stood. “Your hospitality is much appreciated, mon ami.” France informed the other country warmly. “Exploring a bit does sound fun, and I would very much like for you to walk with me tonight."
“I’m guessing that you don’t know how long you are gong to be staying, but I am sure that at a later date, I can take you around Granada and see some of the places that you have probably heard about when la reconquista took place.”
Francis walked on through the door once Spain had politely opened it for him. Looking around Granada sounded nice too. Especially if tomorrow was to be as nice and sunny as today was. “I am sure I’ll be here for awhile, knowing my king. So I’ll have plenty of time to walk with you and see the sights. Including this palace, since you are right, and I have not seen much of it before.” He studied Antonio for a moment in the somewhat darkened corridor. “How about I freshen up a bit and then come find you and we can go explore and charm those ladies together, Antonio?” If he was to be wandering around this place, he figured he should probably brush his hair back and make himself even more presentable. Ladies liked a well groomed, classy looking man in his experience, and though he had taken great care to look his best upon entering the palace, his hair had fallen slightly out of place since he had been running his fingers through it in the library. And some cool water on his face sounded heavenly after the warmth of the wine.
“And perhaps tomorrow morning you can show me all the intricate details of your lovely palace?”
|
|
|
Post by Spain on Aug 27, 2011 1:02:39 GMT -5
Judging from the Frenchmen's listlessness, Antonio started to sense that perhaps he was tiring out or perhaps, even worse, boring his visitor. There had been times in the past when he was reminded that he had a tendency to happily ramble on, failing to pay attention to his guests. It was something that he was trying to improve upon, much to Queen Isabel's insistence, granted, with such a nature so deeply ingrained in him, it was questionable was to whether or not he would even be able to formally participate in court discussions. But having been raised during la Reconquista, it was easy to dismiss it as the fact that Antonio was a product of combat, though it was easy to see that it was the soft skills that were desperately needed when he was slow, but steadily ascending the world stage, whether he desired it or not.
It was something that he was constantly reminded of, since his casual demeanor and laugh often left his caretakers distraught.
But back to Francis. He could not help but notice the eyes that the man was making, though he was not sure if it was just an effect of wine (maybe it was making him look like a woman, granted, he was told that he did have rather soft features when he was younger), or if he was just fatigued. Either way, he shrugged it off as something trivial and that he was merely overcompensating for the fact that he usually thought too little of such things. At least, in general (since the only times that Antonio put much thought into such things was when he brought home another henchman or was pursuing one of his hobbies). Instead, he finally took one last look out the window before looking away again.
He was fully aware of the fact that the next few days would be crucial in terms of how it would affect the ofreig policy of his kingdom for years to come. Thus, it would be important for him to keep Francis occupied or at least, entertained during his stay. As a result, he was relieved when his friend gave him the verbal affirmation that the other man was at least enjoying his time so far (though he would at least take him out to enjoy the everyday life of commoners, he always found it more interesting than lounging around at home).
And when they had left the room, Antonio caught the glance again, though this time he met his eyes for a moment. The smiling at Francis's comment, he nodded, "That sounds good to me," he chirped, grinning from ear to ear, "get fancied up and whatever else you would need to do -- oh and bring your cloak, I was originally gonna save it for later, but we might sneak outside depending on how guarded it is tonight. And then I'll take you around this place maybe in the afternoon tomorrow," The Spaniard punctuated the comment with a cheeky grin and gave Francis a friendly slap on the back. "And of course, I'll be taking notes as when I watch you chatting up the ladies," he added at the end, the joking tone in his voice as he smoothed out his doublet.
Then with that, Antonio made it a point to walk slightly ahead of Francis as if to lead the Frenchman. "Your room is this way, I think," he said as he started walking in that general direction. Tonight had been somewhat intense though he knew how laidback their interactions usually were, but given the topic of discussion, it had been a nicer conversation than he thought it would be.
"We'll then go out and see the world~" he sang softly, happily as he walked up the stairs leading to their rooms.
It would be a mere year and a half before the alliance would collapse.
|
|