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Prince Auguste, Prince Laurent

Summary:

What Jord had to do as Prince Auguste's guard was obviously similar to being Prince Laurent's guard.

(10-Year Anniversary Captive Prince Month, Day 10, Prompt: Parallels)

Notes:

Not first language. No beta. You can figure the rest.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

What Jord had to do as Prince Auguste's guard was obviously similar to being Prince Laurent's guard. He was stationed outside rooms, he followed the princes around, he trained, he polished his armor, he ignored conversations not meant for him.

The siblings shared features concerning him too. They did care for their men, Auguste more freely, Laurent more aggressively, if it was a word that could be used in such situation. Both princes were fair, never punishing for something not committed by the Guard, trusting them in the first place, but questioning them ruthlessly if there was suspicion cast at them. They were both good men, for Auguste it was just easier to be himself.

His main job was guarding the princes in all those years he served someone from the royal family. It was always half boring, half way too entertaining. When it came to Prince Auguste the drinking and flirting with women was the boring part and his enthusiasm when he wanted some high lord to favor him for who he was, not for who he was the son of, was the humorous. With Prince Laurent, the cunning political drama was boring or more precisely what he had no ability to follow or care about directly and his clever word fights with too smug lords and ladies were the source of amusement.

And there were those moments when he almost had to stand between a prince and the ruler of the country. With Prince Auguste it was the constant job of assuring King Aleron that his son would never sneak out to meet women. He would never. It was painfully obvious he had been lying each and every time. The king stopped asking after a time, he just wanted to know if Auguste would be careful. Jord assured him.

Later, when Auguste realized everyone knew about his infatuation of the other gender, he took Jord to guard him. Jord had never felt more uncomfortable then spending hours in a brothel trying to blend in while he was acutely aware of round breasts, slender waists and in general the women surrounding him. It became worse when Auguste, upon realizing Jord's awkwardness, started to attend brothels where men also presented themselves. The prince seemed unaware that Jord needed to pay attention to other matters too. Or he simply ignored it, like his father’s warnings about bastards.

With Prince Laurent he had to bear unpleasantries from the ruler in a more physical form. Namely, the Regent's men beating them on every given occasion, with a bit of humiliation mixed in. Not that it worked, the Guard always stood up and went against the Regent's choice if that what the Prince asked them.

Jord felt loyalty towards both princes. With Auguste it came easy, he was the first to give him a real chance, he was kind and ready to rule, someone who was easy to adore.

Prince Laurent, by his uncle, was made to be despised. Jord knew better. The prince fought for loyalty like his brother never had to, he proved himself in every act, he worked for the Guard's loyalty like he had to work for everything, Auguste just got on a silver plate. He was determined and caring, too deeply for his men to show it without creating an obvious weak spot. He spent great part of his life playing mind tricks with his uncle yet it was no question he was good to the core.

He often wondered how their life would be if Auguste lived. Which brother he would serve, would he just be a soldier of the crown without significance. He liked to believe that everything he had done for Prince Auguste was some kind of learning process in order to be even better for Prince Laurent. Because serving under those two may have shared actions, but only one was hurt, alone and at the beginning almost without power, someone who truly needed Jord and the Guard to protect him.

Notes:

I'll stop with loyalty fics now, I swear.

(Find me on tumblr.)

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