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croatian-magician · 6 years

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Long live the king (part 1)

Pairing: Šejan

Word count: 3676

Summary: Šime becomes king of France and finds love along the way

Notes: I entirely blame the no good gang for this mess of a story.

Dejan couldn’t stand to stay in his room any longer. When he had moved to Versailles, as it was required of any nobleman of his rank, he certainly didn’t expect to end up in a ridiculously small place, barely heated in winter and burning hot in summer. Back home, he had a nice house in the country side, but here, he was treated as a servant, if not worse. And of course, leaving would mean displeasing the king and bringing disgrace upon his family, something he just couldn’t do.

However, his annoyance grew quickly and it quickly got to the point where he just couldn’t stay in one place anymore, soDejan decided that he could wander in a castle to distract himself a little. Sure, there were certainly a hundred etiquette rules forbidding it, but he had enough with the damn etiquette anyway. So after putting on his less gaudy clothes, he took a step outside and started exploring.

During parties and other important events, Versailles was full of life and colors, but not today. Everything was silent and Dejan made sure his footsteps were as light as possible. So no one would spot him. He had no real idea of his destination, all he knew was that he wanted to run far away from the sour smell of his room.

He had been roaming the corridors for a good hour when he leaned onto a wall and accidentally found a strange asperity in it. On another day, he wouldn’t have bothered inspecting it, but he was bored and any distraction was welcome. It didn’t take him long to understand that it was a hidden door.

A voice in his mind told him that this could get dangerous, that he shouldn’t mess with what was obviously the king’s business, that he should go back to his room and forget all about this little expedition. But Dejan didn’t listen. He pushed the door open and adventured himself in narrow stairs, not forgetting to close the entryway behind him first.

The path it took went down and Dejan soon realized he was going under the castle. This looked intriguing though, so he didn’t turn back. When he reached the end of the stairs, he found a dark, rusty place, only lightened up by a few torches.

Dejan jumped in surprise when he heard the rattle of chains. He was about to panic and to run away when he heard a voice calling him.

“No, please, whoever you are, don’t go! It’s been so long since I last talked to someone!”

The voice was muffled, as if the man was talking from another room. However, he sounded so desperate that Dejan just couldn’t abandon him here alone. Something in his heart twisted and he took a few steps forward, only to find himself in front of the bars of a cell. A man was laying on the floor, his face trapped in a strange mask made of iron.

Dejan knelt next to him and the man turned back, striking brown eyes staring at him through the lids of the mask. It was all Dejan could see of his face, but he couldn’t ignore the maelstrom of emotions dancing in them.

“Thank you, thank you so much! I thought I was going to go crazy, having no one to talk to here. It feels like I’ve been here forever…”

His hands were at the bars, thirsty for any kind of touch, and Dejan let his fingers intertwine with the stranger’s without a single thought. It could have been dangerous. For all he knew, the man could have been imprisoned for committing a heinous crime. But those desperate, pleading eyes told him it wasn’t the case.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Šime. Šime Vrsaljko. And you?”

Once, more Dejan’s instinct urged him not to give his real identity to a prisoner staying in a hidden cell. Once more, he ignored it and decided to be honest with that strange inmate.

“My name is Dejan Lovren. Not to be indiscreet or anything, but… Why are you here? And what’s with that strange mask?”

“Oh, that’s a long story.”

Even without seeing his face, Dejan could feel the bitterness and sadness in his voice. He put a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder, hoping it would bring him some comfort.

“I have time, if you want to tell me.”

Šime blinked, obviously surprised that Dejan actually cared to hear his story. From the wrinkles around his eyes, Dejan could tell he was smiling. It warmed his chest in a strange but pleasant way.

“Okay, I’ll try to make that short. I was a nobleman like you, once. To be honest, I was quite successful in love and I messed around a little. That didn’t bring me much trouble, not until I came to Versailles, anyway. There, I made the mistake of seducing someone the king had his views on. That, I could have gotten away with. The three times it happened again after that, not so much. The king had me arrested in secret at night by his guards and imprisoned here. He also had this mask made for me so that, and I quote, ‘no one would fall for my pretty face ever again’. That’s how I ended up in here, end of the story.”

“Wait, that’s so cruel! Just because you were more popular than him…”

“Well, we’re talking about a king who’s waging war against almost every other European country, so it really shouldn’t be that surprising, right?” Šime shrugged. “Anyway, enough talking about me. Can you please tell me what is happening, outside? I’ve been here for years, so I have no idea what’s going on and I’m afraid I’ll lose grasp with reality.”

“Wait, years? How long are you supposed to stay in this jail?”

“Honestly? I think I’ll never get out of here.”

Šime tried to keep his tone neutral, but his voice broke in the middle of his sentence. It broke Dejan’s heart as well. He squeezed Šime’s shoulder once more, regretting that he couldn’t caress his cheek instead.

“Okay, I’m going to tell you everything I know. Every rumor, every story, you won’t miss anything. So, where do I begin…”

He stayed there until dawn until Šime chased him away, afraid guards would discover his new friend once they came to give him his food. So Dejan left, even though he would have given everything to stay by his side a little longer. He came back every night though, even if it was only for a few hours. And as his affection for Šime grew, his determination to get him out of jail grew stronger, too.

Dejan was at a fancy dinner, but all he could think about was finding a way to leave discreetly so he could join Šime without raising suspicion. However, he stopped in his track when he heard a lady gossiping to her friends. Most of the time, he didn’t care about those rumors, but this time, the subject caught his attention.

“Did you hear about the rumor? Some people say the king keeps a mysterious man locked up somewhere under the castle. He’s even wearing an iron mask so that no one will recognize him.”

Most of the people present were skeptical, but a man stepped him, raising Dejan’s curiosity once more.

“Yes, and I’m pretty sure this man exists. I know some guards who have already seen him. Also, there are some others who pretend he’s the king’s brother. That’s why he’s locked up and wears a mask, so that he won’t be able to claim the throne, even though he’s the rightful heir. Or at least, that’s what I heard.”

Dejan didn’t stay to hear the incredulous answers of the other noblemen. A crazy idea just made its way into his head, an idea that could get Šime out of trouble forever. He rushed to his room, looking for ink and paper. Once he found everything he needed, he started writing. He had some contacts in Liverpool, people who would love to see Louis XIV’s demise, people who would bring Dejan all the help he needed if he chose his words wisely.

Happiness filled Dejan’s heart as he rushed down the stairs leading to Šime’s room. When he found him, his friend was still asleep, but the sound from his footsteps woke him up. He looked miserable, lying on the cold hard ground, and it only made Dejan more happy to know that he was about to rescue him from this hell.

“Dejan, it’s you? You shouldn’t be here, we’re in the middle of the day, what if someone sees you…”

“Calm down, we have nothing to fear, I promise.”

Šime’s eyes grew wide when Dejan showed him a key, before opening the door to his cell. The prisoner didn’t waste a minute. He jumped to his feet, not hesitating a single second before rushing into Dejan’s arms. His legs were wobbly from the lack of exercise, though, and he almost fell down, only for the nobleman to catch him up.

“There, I got you.” He smiled.

“You’re crazy! You could get killed for freeing me, you idiot, this is fucking stupid of you but thank you, thank you, thank you so much…”

“Calm down, no one here is going to get killed. There’s still something I need to do, though.”

There was a click, and then the iron mask fell from Šime’s face. The prisoner took it in his hands and put it aside, then he stared at Dejan with awe.

The nobleman lost his breath. He expected Šime to be pleasant to the sight, yes, but nothing could have prepared him for the vision in front of him. He looked sickeningly pale because his skin hadn’t seen the sun for too long, sure, but Dejan had seen men and women with skin whiter because of makeup, so that didn’t phase him.

All in all, Šime looked like a dream come true. Suddenly, Dejan understood why a king might have been jealous enough of him to trap him in a hidden cell. However, all Dejan wanted right now was to protect this perfect man at all cost.

Šime touched his own face, bewilderment in his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. Dejan let him do it for a few minutes before gently stopping his hand.

“You don’t have to do this. This is not a dream. You’re free and I’ll never let anyone put you in a cell again.”

“But how? How did you get these keys? And why did you do this?”

“The why part of this is simple. I did it because I care about you and couldn’t bare to see you rotting in here any longer.”

“Wait, really? It’s just… I feel like everyone has given up on me, so…”

“Not me. And actually, I did a little more than freeing you from here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the new king of France.”

“I’m sorry, but now is not the time for joking. Please tell me the truth.”

“I’m not joking. From now on, you are king.”

Šime stopped for a second, examining Dejan’s face closely but finding no trace of dishonesty. That didn’t make his statement any more believable, though.

“What? I mean, how? This is impossible, I have no tie with any royal family, how could I…”

“I’m sorry to say that, but no one knows who you are anymore. There are rumors saying you are the king’s twin or older brother, so I used those. I invented a story, telling the late queen sent you into exile during the revolt of the Fronde to keep you safe.”

“Wait, and people believed that?”

“Well, they did because most of them don’t like the actual king, be it French noblemen or foreigners. So they jumped on the occasion when they saw they could overthrow him by making you king. I wasn’t sure it would work out, but it was worth a try.”

“So you mean that now… I’m king.”

“You are, votre Majesté.”

Dejan winked at him and Šime suddenly felt himself blushing, though he tried to hide it as best as he could. There were already too many things he needed to figure out right now, no need to add his strange feelings for Dejan into the mix.

“So that means I’ll have to do king things? Like ruling the country, living in a fancy palace and all that?”

“Yes, but for now, you need to leave this place without anyone seeing you. You can’t show yourself in front of your subjects looking like this, or you’ll lose all credibility.”

“You do now I’m still having a hard time accepting that all this is happening, right?”

Dejan smiled gently at him before taking his hand in his.

“I know it must be scary, but I’ll help you through all this, I promise. What’s important is to get you out of here. Come on, follow me.”

Šime didn’t lose time and happily agreed to leave the cell in which he had lost so many years of his life. Dejan led him to the stairs and then they went through deserted corridors until they reached Šime’s new royal apartments.

“So you mean… This is all mine, now?”

“Of course, mon cher. I already ordered servants to draw a bath for you. I bet you want to get ride of all this dirt.”

“When will you stop spoiling me?” Šime teased him, though the spark in his eyes showed Dejan that he liked the attention.

“Well, it is my duty to serve my king.” The nobleman stroke back.

Šime took his time enjoying the bath, only getting out when the water grew cold. When he got out, he found fancy clothes waiting for him, including a blue cloak with golden lilies flowers all over it. He tried to put it all on without help, but at some point he gave up and called Dejan for help.

“What is it?” The nobleman asked, though he couldn’t help but chuckle when he found Šime entangled in the clothes.

“This isn’t funny, stop laughing and please help me!”

“Don’t worry, my king, I’m coming to the rescue. Also, please stop wriggling. Our tailor will be pissed if you ruin the clothes he created and I’m pretty sure you don’t want your first encounter here to be with an angry Mario.”

Dejan helped him put everything back in his place and once more Šime felt a weird tingling in his belly as the nobleman had to put his hands all over him to help him dress up. Soon, he was all ready, except for his shoes and white silk stockings.

“I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to need your help again. I can barely move in those clothes, less alone bend to put those tights on.”

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Dejan replied.

He tried to be confident, but his heart started beating in a weird way. Šime also looked aside, hoping Dejan would miss the blush growing stronger and stronger on his cheeks. In his confusion, Dejan had to restart many times before the stockings would stick to Šime’s skin. He shivered as his fingers brushed the new king’s thigh was the last time. He then hurried to help him with the high heels shoes a monarch was expected to wear.

“Good, now you’re almost ready. Let’s just get your hair and beard fixed now, shall we? I called a barber too, and then you’ll be all ready.”

“It can’t hurt, I guess. I must look awful, after all the time I spent in this cell.”

Dejan bit his lip before he could say that to him, Šime already looked beautiful back when all he could see were his eyes through the mask.

Dejan waited until Šime’s hair was done, though he always kept an eye on his friend. Deep down, he was always worried for him, afraid that someone would try to harm him, afraid that someone would discover that this was all a fraud.

When Šime came back to him, Dejan lost his voice. With his beard and heard trimmed, he looked more handsome than ever. It became even worse when Šime smiled happily at him.

“So, how do I look?”

“You… You look stunning.”

Before Dejan could embarrass himself any further, Šime took a step toward him, but he stumbled because of his heels. Thankfully, Dejan had fast reflexes and he rushed to catch him before he reached the ground.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m just not used to wearing this kind of shoes anymore. Guess there are lots of things I need to learn again.”

“That’s not a problem, I’ll help you through it. If you want me, that is.”

“Are you kidding me? You took me out of jail and somehow managed to make me king, all that while not expecting anything in return. Of course I want you by my side. I’d really like you to stay.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, I guess it’s time for your royal presentation. Everyone’s impatient to see you.”

“Well, I guess I have no choice. Let’s go, then.”

Dejan offered him his hand so Šime wouldn’t fall again, and when they left the apartments, they both had a bright smile on their faces.

After that, everything went surprisingly well. With his cocky smile and his confidence, Šime managed to fake being royalty without much trouble. Also, Dejan was always behind him to give him advice on how to behave in public. What’s more, every time he did something weird, the nobles of the court just assumed it was because of his foreign education or his long imprisonment.

Dejan made sure not to lose time before Šime went to Reims for his Sacre and coronation. Once that was done, no one dared to question his right to the throne. As for Šime, he just rolled with all this, way too happy to be out of his jail and living the grand life.

As time went by, they both started to get used to this. So when someone knocked on Šime’s door at the break of dawn, he didn’t say a word and simply let Dejan enter his room. His friend was wearing a tray full of food and his stomach growled at the thought.

“I still can’t believe I once used to live off bread and water alone, and now I get breakfast in bed every morning.”

“Only because you complain too much about etiquette. If you acted as the king before you, you’d even have noblemen helping you get dressed every morning, mon cher.”

“Sorry for wanting to wake up in peace and at my own pace. So did, you bring croissants today?”

“What do you think? Of course I did. I wouldn’t want to deceive you, mon roi.”

“Oh, stop making fun of me. Also, you should be glad I’m willing to share my food with you.”

Dejan laughed and sat on the bed next to Šime. He also took a half-baguette from the tray and cut it in smaller parts so he could put jam on it.

“I could do that myself, you know.” Šime teased him.

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t want his majesty to grow too tired.”

“Okay, now this is war!”

Before Dejan could process his words, Šime started tickling his sides. The nobleman put a hand on his mouth to muffle his laughter while he kept the tray from falling with the other.

“Stop that! If… If people hear us… They… They’ll wonder what is going on in here.”

Šime stopped his ministrations and Dejan quickly took advantage of this respite to put the tray on a nearby table. The king looked intrigued as he lazily wrapped his arms around Dejan’s neck like a cat missing attention.

“And what do you think they’ll imagine we’re doing exactly?”

“I… I don’t know… Things?”

“What kind of things? I’m sure you had something in mind.”

This time, Dejan’s cheeks turned into a deep red. He didn’t expect Šime to be suddenly so straightforward, though he liked the feeling of his arms circling him.

“Uhm, maybe… Kissing?”

“Nothing more?”

“French kissing?”

“I guess that will do for now.” Šime grinned before closing the gap between him and Dejan.

Their mouths met and Dejan didn’t waste a second to open his lips to welcome Šime. Their breaths grew heavy as their tongue touched. Šime grabbed Dejan’s clothes to steady himself as their making out became more passionate.

However, in their hurry, the nobleman bit Šime’s lip. He immediately pulled away when he noticed that he had drawn blood, putting his thumb right under the injury, worry in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I… I got carried away…”

“You don’t have to apologize. Apart from the biting part, this was really, really great. Actually, I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“But, Šime… You’re a king now.”

“Yeah, thanks to you. Don’t think I forgot you were the only one there for me back when I had nothing.”

“Still, we can’t be together. Your position is too frail. If people learned you were favoring me, it could be bad for you.”

“Then I’ll make sure they never know. We can keep this a secret. Please, Dejan, I love you and I need you.”

Once more, those begging, pleading brown eyes were Dejan’s demise. He cupped Šime’s cheek in his hand and brought their foreheads together before planting a light kiss on his lips.

“Moi aussi, je t’aime, Šime. And I’ll never leave you, as long as you need me.”

“Then you should get ready to belong to me forever.” Šime whispered back.

“Your wish is my command, my king.” Dejan replied before moving so that his lover could cuddle close to his chest. “Also, we still have a breakfast to finish.”

“Damn, will you believe I almost forgot about that?” Šime chuckled, his eyes shining bright with happiness.

To be continued…

Some historical facts (because I’m an ex-history student and can’t help myself)

Louis XIV really held a man wearing an iron mask in his cells. There were rumors about that prisoner being the king’s brother, but we still don’t know the truth nowadays.

Some nobles lived in very poor conditions in Versailles because there were too many people leaving there and not enough place. Also life was really expensive.

French kings had to go to the city of Reims for their coronation and it was an important ceremony with an important meaning.

Translation:

Votre majesté: your majesty

Mon cher: my dear

Mon roi: my king

Moi aussi, je t’aime, Šime: I love you too, Šime

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#croatia nt #sime vrsaljko #dejan lovren #sejan #football slash #fic #history au #french king sime au #sime overthrows Louis XIV #Yes this is a thing now

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