14, 17 and 42 (war, bodyguard and The Big Damn Kiss) and Onni/Reynir!
Oooh okay. So Iâve been poking at what a âwar AUâ could look like, and since itâs combined with bodyguard Iâve come up with the following.
Reynir is a prince, the youngest son of the reigning monarchs. His kingdom has been at war with a neighboring kingdom for as long as he can remember (who are you fighting, Fantasy Iceland? I donât know). Despite being a good boy who wants to help, Reynir constantly lands himself in trouble by wandering off to daydream and causing a panic. Heâs too trusting! Someone could kidnap him! And it turns out heâs inherited some magic and can also wander around in his dreams, which is even more dangerous. So eventually his family hires a bodyguard to follow him around and make sure he doesnât do anything stupid. Enter Onni.
Onni is just in this for the paycheck. After the war destroyed their home, he fled with his sister and cousin, eventually ending up in a foreign capital. Now heâs trying to make ends meet as a sword-for-hire. Maybe if he earns enough, they can have a proper home again. Lalli wonât have to go on dangerous scouting missions and Tuuri can have the library sheâs always wanted. When he hears that someone is looking for a bodyguard whoâs also well-versed in magic, he jumps on the opportunity. He has no idea his charge is the prince until heâs offered the job.
At first itâs a little rough - while Onni is waiting to meet his new charge, Reynir sneaks up on him. Startled, Onni shoves him against the wall, only to realize a split second later that oh no his clothes are fancy and heâs wearing a crown Iâve just attacked the prince. Onni being Onni, his attempt at an apology ends up being a lecture on why itâs dangerous to approach armed strangers. Reynir insists that he doesnât need a bodyguard but heâs curious about Onni; heâs never met anyone else with magic and he wants Onni to teach him. Onni agrees to try (âthough I probably canât help you - our gods are differentâ) as long as Reynir agrees to let Onni protect him.
(When his parents ask about his first impression of the new bodyguard, Reynir says, âHeâs so strong! And he has good reflexes. Iâm sure heâs an amazing magic tea--uh I mean guardâ)
They settle into a routine. By day, Onni follows Reynir around and keeps him from wandering into anywhere dangerous. He stops a couple of pickpockets and steers Reynir away from a dispute in the marketplace that might turn ugly. By night, they explore the dreamworld. Reynir peppers Onni with questions about it, Onni does his best to answer while also emphasizing the dangers.Â
Of course, soon enough Feelings enter the picture and it all gets complicated. Since they spend literally all their time together (Onni has a small room adjacent to Reynirâs, so he can even protect him while theyâre asleep) they canât get away from each other to process, so they just...stew in their emotions. Onni is so strong and honorable and good at magic, Reynir knows he would never reciprocate this silly crush. Onni has a job to do; itâs his duty to protect Reynir, crossing that professional boundary would be totally inappropriate, no matter how much he might want to.
Tensions rise as the tides of war turn against them. They have an argument; Onni threatens to stop Reynirâs magic lessons altogether if Reynir wonât listen to him and stay safe. Reynir runs off to sulk, then sneaks away from the castle and is captured by enemy forces. Onni goes after him and mage-scorches the hell out of the enemy camp. As he emerges from the flames, hair singed, bleeding in half a dozen places, and furious, he finds Reynir tying up a pair of guards who were knocked out cold by magic.
Then Reynir looks up and flings himself into Onniâs arms, because this whole time heâs been worrying about what will happen to Onni if heâs killed, and all his reasons for holding back seem so stupid now. Onni holds him tight because he canât help himself--he cares about this foolish prince. This is where The Big Damn Kiss comes in. :D
Of course there are some loose ends to wrap up, but Onniâs fire turned the tide of the war and the royals are so grateful that theyâre willing to do whatever he asks. Especially because their son is so insistent about marrying the man, and itâs hard to deny Reynir when he sets his mind to something. Tuuri has the run of the royal library and Lalli has the run of the royal forests, where no one will shoot at him now that peace has been restored. Reynir and Onni continue their practice of going on long walks, but now they do so hand in hand.Â
