Worldwide Secrets - The Rewrite

5: Hapsburg Secrets

Quick Announcement before you continue! School has started, so updates will be slowing to once or twice a month! (Likely once a month.)

After a few minutes, Norway settles into a seated position on the floor next to Canada and Brazil takes the vacated spot.

"Sverige, if you please," Norway asks Sweden to hit the play button. The quiet giant nods and plays the next scene.

The scene opens in an ornate chapel, and it's obvious from the start that a royal wedding is taking place in the chapel. As the faces of the two humans become clearer, the reason behind why this particular wedding is being shown becomes even more obvious. This is the wedding of Philip of Hapsburg, later known as Philip the Handsome or Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile, later known as Joanna the Mad.

"20 October 1496" Austria whispers, knowing the date well. [1]

The ceremony speeds by at an unnatural pace, and the focus of the memory is shifted to the two young adult males who had been watching from the shadows. The younger personifications of Austria and Spain come into focus, standing but an arm's length away from each other as they watch the proceedings.

"It seems we'll be under the same house once again," Spain observes quietly as the wedding ceremony ends. He's referring to the time when they were both Roman territory, though they never interacted much at all. Austria gives a small nod of acknowledgement, saying nothing. Spain turns to look at his silent companion and notices him paler than he was before, his fingers tightly clutching the long sleeves of his era-fashionable clothing. "Nervous?"

Austria looks at him this time, giving him a hesitant nod. They both know what's awaiting them the moment the crowd leaves the chapel. After all, Philip and Joanna are not the only two getting married tonight.

"There's no need to be," Spain assures quietly. He looks as if he wants to say more, but he stops himself.

Silence falls over the pair until a new man, a different priest than the one that officiated the royal wedding, approaches them. By now, everyone else has left the room. The priest leads Austria and Spain to the altar and begins performing their union. It is mostly formality, with the priest speaking on and on, though only one thing stands out - the consummation of their union is forbidden.

Not long after revealing this, the two are presented with rings displaying the Hapsburg family crest. Austria is to go first, taking the ring and silently sliding it onto Spain's finger. Spain goes next, copying the movement. Then the two nations are presented with a document not unlike a marriage certificate, and sign it. As they're doing so, the screen fades to black.

"'Forbidden' huh?" Prussia says with a snicker. "Gee, you really stuck to that one, huh Specs?" Austria's face colors and a few nations look in curiously amusement.

"Whoah, wasn't homosexuality like illegal back then? Especially like, in Europe?" America asks a bit cluelessly.

"Not necessarily," England answers. "If I remember correctly it wasn't condemned until it was made illegal in the eighteen hundreds." [2a]

"It was rather taboo before then though," Portugal adds. "Especially compared to today's standards."

"It was outlawed in Rome for a while," Veneziano adds in after a little.

"Not like the stupid church cared when St. Aelred was alive," Romano mutters. [2b]

"Oh," America says with a nod. From the looks on the faces of several Western Hemisphere and other younger Nations, they were pretty in the dark too.