dukedeguise:
♞ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐂𝐓 made jean-henri’s neck flare-up in a hideous shade. sporting was the last thing he’d call it, but he’d never expected less of franjo who was quite proud in his sexual endeavors, proudly boasting them at times too often with little regard of societal morals and the shame it aroused. ❛ tasting — dear god, i question my sense sometimes for acquainting myself with you, truly, ❜ he laughs, half-embarrassed, but mostly amused. ❛ i hope you caution better restraint in the company of others, especially those florentine, ❜ he muses with a tongue-in-cheek kind of standard. there was little guilt in his amusement, after all, this was a conventional procedure with the austrian prince; conventional sense-less musings of things that shouldn’t be so provocatively mused, especially out loud in the presence of others. ❛ why the particular interest in the regent’s wife? i confess i know little of her aside from what his highness suggests to me, though i do believe it’s perhaps of his concern if she’s been doing anything untoward as it directly relates to france’s reputation. ❜ he’d never paid much attention to the princess’ affairs, but something in their previous conversation did strike his memory as franjo suggested her supposed frivolous nature. something of past relations, and a hindrance that arose in correcting assumptions that were perhaps incorrect. he focused little on gossip to latch onto that.
franjo laughed, enjoying the flare of red that seemed to bloom upon his face - a response he had much anticipated nonetheless. “it is too late to for your escape now,” he remarked, the glimmer of humor ceasing to sparkle in his cerulean eyes. “the others i have heard of being insufferable louts. honestly, I shall not be bothering the common folk lest they have specific business to do with austrian court. too many of them intermingle and lo and behold - gasp when scandal explodes.” he placed a hand on his mouth in faux mockery. unless they were in good merriment like himself, he found little interest in soiling his hands with those who clearly stuck wooden sticks up their rear ends. “well pardon my language but I think her a ninny. does my empress look like she’s in need of a charity case?” he lifted his hand up as if to stop him from answering, “forget that - this won’t do for my country’s reputation to have a married woman sauntering around. for god’s sake does she care so little for her character?” franjo kept his head high, privy to both gossip and his own ego - his mind rarely changed once he had caught an opinion. and he had plenty of those to go around.