To Forsake Tradition

A Proposal

Yuuri, tangled and hidden inside a window curtain, can only gape with mortification at the silhouette on the other side.

"You want to what?" He blurts, certain that such an incredulous tone is probably rude to use against the king, but it's too late for that now.

"I want to get to know you better!" King Victor chirps, as carefree as ever. Yuuri feels the curtain nearly give way under his fingers, but he hastily yanks them back into place, keeping himself firmly cocooned inside. No matter how much Victor tries to unwrap him, Yuuri stubbornly maintains his burrito form. "Yuuri," Victor whines, in a rather un-kingly way. He can practically hear the pout in the man's voice. "Why won't you come out? Let's get to know each other before the wedding, what do you say?"

"What do you mean, 'why won't you come out'?!" Yuuri sputters, nearly tripping himself on the hem of the curtain. "We can't see each other yet, Victor!"

"Oh, right," Victor says. As if forgetting a royal wedding tradition spanning generations is no big deal.

How on Earth has this man survived as king for so long if he forgets decorum left and right? One of the simplest expectations for a royal wedding in Victor's court is that the betrothed don't see each other on the day of the wedding until they're at the altar. It's such a well known rule that even Yuuri, who's not yet a member of that court, knows it!

Thankfully, though, Victor has stopped tugging on the curtain now that he's been reminded of the tradition. An involuntary sigh of relief escapes Yuuri. After spending all day preparing for the wedding, dressing himself in stuffy outfits and surrounding himself with people frantically racing to and fro, his stress and anxiety boiled to a melting point. A wedding is a nerve-wracking event in anyone's life—especially when you're a prince in an arranged marriage to a foriegn king that you've never even spoken to. Needless to say, Yuuri needed to escape—even if just for an hour—so he slipped away from the chaos and snuck into another room.

When he'd hurried inside, he thought it was just another room. He's not yet familiar enough with Victor's castle to know the layout yet, but he had no reason to believe that he'd walked straight into Victor's room. It was only when he saw the man sitting at a desk with his back facing him that he realized his mistake.

He'd dove behind the curtain just in the knick of time, hiding himself before Victor fully turned around. He'd stuttered an apology and an explanation, mentally cursing himself for already breaching tradition just by catching a glimpse of Victor. For a moment, he worried that Victor might be furious. He even wondered if he'd botched the whole alliance. But then Victor laughed and began pulling on the curtains, like he just was, asking Yuuri to come out.

"Please just let me go," Yuuri moans pathetically. It's dark and stuffy in this thick curtain. It makes his wedding attire feel even heavier. "Just—just turn around! And I'll cover my eyes, and walk out the door, and—"

"I have an idea! Why don't we go down to the beach? We can sneak out, so no one else will know that we're breaking the rules," Victor suggests, his carefree voice bubbling over Yuuri's. Yuuri wants to bang his head against the wall. "I mean, you've already seen me, and I caught a glimpse of your boot. We might as well scrap the whole tradition and see each other face to face."

Yuuri can't believe his ears. Victor wants to what? Right now? Why?!

Already, Yuuris is getting the very distinct impression that Victor doesn't really care too much for formalities and tradition. As if it wasn't obvious by now. He's probably the type of person to get his head lost in the clouds yet still manage to be the best at absolutely everything he does. Just the thought of Victor being so effortlessly successful makes Yuuri cringe with insecurity and slight envy. But who is he to say how hard Victor does or doesn't work? Victor isn't the king of one of the most flourishing kingdoms by chance, after all. As effortless as Victor may make things seem, Yuuri knows there has to be a ton of work that goes into it all behind closed doors. Chances are, Victor works harder than anyone Yuuri has ever met. Not that he'd know, of course, considering they know next to nothing about each other.

...Which kind of supports Victor's point of tossing out tradition and getting to know each other...

Gah! What is he thinking?! Does he want to piss off every other member of Victor's court?!

As tempted as Yuuri is to beg Victor to go away or just crumple into a miserable heap of anxiety and stress, he manages to hold himself together and consider his options. If he weren't marrying Victor in an hour, he'd honestly be thrilled at the opportunity to go anywhere with him. Or, maybe he'd be just as anxious. Yuuri has long admired Victor as a ruler and has attempted to mirror him in his own princely duties. A chance to spend some time with his idol, alone, could just be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even though they're getting married, that doesn't mean they're guaranteed time together.

In all honesty, he kinda wishes they'd had the chance to get to know each other better before their engagement. As much as Yuuri admires Victor's prowess as king, he doesn't know much else about him. He knows a lot about King Victor—his policies, his diplomacy, his reforms—but he knows next to nothing about just Victor. He wishes he knew Victor's favorite food, or the way his voice sounds when he sings, or all his other oddities and quirks. Even the smallest personal detail would make him feel all the more better.

Without thinking, Yuuri pulls the curtain away from his face, just slightly. It's only enough to peek out and see the sideswept, silvery bangs shining on Victor's forehead, but even that much is enough to make him swallow nervously.

"...Okay," he says, after a long moment.