Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Today is going to be a good day,’ he thought, pondering every little thing that could possibly go wrong. Guillermo didn’t believe himself, but he sure wanted to. Today, he was applying to be the Royal Prince’s new bodyguard. The old one disappeared under mysterious circumstances and so there was an urgent need for a new candidate. Luckily for Guillermo, there wasn’t much competition as the job wasn’t widely advertised as there was a paper shortage; he had- by some miracle- found a flyer on the floor behind a local bakery that he used to work at (he had a misfortunate encounter with the manager and was promptly fired.)

Guillermo’s a pretty quiet guy with a cute head of a curls and a short stature. His face was fine, and he was popular with the ladies, but he had no interest in them. He’d had a girlfriend once, but it lasted maybe three days before they dissolved because he really didn’t work well with women. This was one reason why he was glad to have a chance at this job- he’d only have to be around the Prince and occasionally his parents and that was it. Sure, they’d have outings, but he wouldn’t have to socialise in them, let alone speak with women.

‘One… two… three… four…’ Guillermo counted his steps in his mind as he approached the castle. His breath was hitching, and he was growing less confident- what if they laughed at his size? After all, he was fairly short and how much could a short guy protect a Prince…? Not only that, but his voice was soft, and his demeanour was distinctly very calm and didn’t exactly scream ‘I can protect the Prince!’ He had hope, though. This tiny fragment of hope prevented Guillermo from spinning on his heel and walking the other way to find another, more mediocre, job.

Just as he was about to take his first step through the palace gates, Guillermo was stopped in his tracks by a very well-dressed man in a tailcoat. He had slicked back hair with way too much gel for one man. Guillermo thought that perhaps his hair was falling out, so he was using the gel to hold it together, but he didn’t have time to consider trivial things right now. Trying to remain calm, he drew in a breath and stepped back.
“Yes, sir?”
“You don’t look as if you belong here,” he said sternly, clearly trying to insinuate that Guillermo looked too much of a peasant to step any closer to the royals, “’You sure you’re supposed to be ‘ere?” Despite his seemingly posh look, he didn’t quite sound the part.
“Yes, actually,” Guillermo begun, “I’m applying to be the Prince’s new bodyguard. I’m supposed to be speaking with the King and Queen in just a few minutes.”
The guard looked sceptical and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll escort you.” His tone was strong, and Guillermo knew that any sort of debate on the matter would be futile.
“Very well.” He replied quietly, walking through the gates and towards the steps leading up to the main entrance. Guillermo supposed it was good that he’d have an escort as he didn’t know the way to he drawing room- he’d merely hoped that it would be obvious when he arrived.

After a while of awkward silence between Guillermo and that one presumptuous guard, Guillermo was welcomed into the drawing room by a young and fair maid. She seemed embarrassed to be there; her eyes were constantly fixed on Guillermo’s shoes, and she spoke almost too quietly to hear. Guillermo nodded appreciatively and stepped hesitantly into the room.
The King and Queen looked absolutely stunning in matching outfits made of velvet. The Queen had the most exotic makeup on in the exact same shade as her dress and her shoes; the King wore an odd shaped hat that matched the shade of his suit and his wife’s dress ever so perfectly. They were a transcendent mush of burgundy- it was a beautiful view. If Guillermo hadn’t felt unworthy before, he certainly did now as he was merely wearing a plain outfit in different shades of beige and brown- he couldn’t afford clothes with pretty colours on so he had to make do. He’d done his best to look acceptable; he’d even borrowed his father’s shoes that cost half a year’s worth of savings just so he wouldn’t have to wear his usual work shoes. He thought he looked quite nice when he left the house that morning but now he was reconsidering.

“Hello, Your Majesty…s,” how did you even refer to both the King and Queen at the same time? “I’m here for the int-“
“Yes.” The Queen cut in, “You’re here about the opening for Prince Nandor’s bodyguard. I’m sure this will be short- please just explain why you think that you would be capable of protecting our son.” Being cut off by the Queen worried Guillermo. They didn’t think he was capable, did they? How on Earth was he going to show them that he was perfect for this? He knew he was perfect, but he had to show them… He was trembling but he knew he would be able to prove it- he just had to figure out how to prove it.
“You see, I know I don’t seem like I’d be great at this…” he paused to bite his lip in consideration, “But I was brought up in a poor house where we had to catch our own food and I’ve grown to be very good at defending myself when I’ve been thrown into the woods filled with animals that I’m supposed to catch.” Glancing around viciously, he glanced for anything sharp that he could prove himself with, “I can defend both myself and others with practically anything.” His eyes finally fell upon a pencil. It was a little risky to try and prove himself with that but it was worth a try. In mere moments, he’d grabbed the pencil from upon the fire and threw it between the King and Queen’s heads. He very well could have been thrown out of the Kingdom forever with that trick but he knew damn well that it proved himself worthy- after all, who could get a barely sharp pencil to stick in the wall with just a throw?

The King looked completely unfazed, but the Queen’s jaw was practically on the ground- she was mortified. She looked both impressed and terrified all at once.

A few moments of silence passed before Guillermo finally spoke.
“I appreciate that you may hate me, but I think that this proves my worthiness very well. If that made you uncomfortable, then I’ll leave but I know that I could protect Prince Nandor and I believe that I am the best person that you will find at such short notice.”
It was as if Guillermo had completely transformed since he’d entered the building. He started off as this extremely timid little boy but now he was this confident, beautiful, terrifying man.
“You’re hired,” the Queen exclaimed, “Of course you’re hired. That was brilliant! I expect you to move in right away, and you simply must been the Prince as soon as you possibly can!”

Nodding frantically, Guillermo chuckled and totted around on his feet a little. “Of course! I can be back this afternoon if you give me a chance to get ready!” His voice was frantic, and he was shaKing slightly; he truly was the happiest man alive. “I’ll be back in less than two hours, if that’s okay!” The Queen nodded and held her hand out towards the door as a gesture to say that Guillermo could leave, “We will see you then, wont we, dear?” The Queen finally turned to the King who nodded. That was perhaps the first time that Guillermo saw him move since he’d arrived. He nodded quickly, grinning ferociously as he walked off… well, more sort of ran… maybe a speed-walked? Not the point, Guillermo just got a job IN THE ROYAL PALACE!!!!!!!

Chapter Text

Running into his house at full speed, Guillermo headed for his bedroom. There was an exuberant number of shoes and shoe racks in his way, though, so he ended up creating quite a ruckus, alerting his father.
“Dios mio! Why must Ama keep her shoes all in the hallway?!” Guillermo complained, kicking the shoes to the side hurriedly.
“You know she likes to keep them there for easy access, Guillermo!” His father said as he stuck his head around the kitchen door, “Stop raising your voice, what’s got you in such a hurry?”
“I got the job!” His breaths were heavy as he said this as he hadn’t stopped running once on his way back to the house, “I need to pack! I’m moving into the palace with the Prince, Papi!”
His father looked shocked and nodded frantically, “Go on then! Go and pack, you mustn’t waste a moment!” Guillermo could tell that he was proud- there was a glint in his eyes and a soft tone to his voice. “I’ll tidy up the rest of the shoes, never you worry!” Nodding appreciatively, Guillermo ran up the stairs and practically flew into his room.

-

“I’ll visit home whenever I can, Papi! Tell Ama that I’ll see her soon!” Guillermo hurried back out of the door, being careful not to stumble into all his mother’s shoes this time. He was finally going to meet the Prince! Hopefully, he’d like Guillermo… it would be particularly awkward if he didn’t. Well, the King and Queen liked him enough to allow them in the palace even after throwing a pencil at their wall, so surely the Prince would like him too? He’d heard good things about the Prince but he’d never actually seen him since he usually didn’t join his parents when they visited the village. Girls swooned over him with his long, dark, hair, apparently. Not that Guillermo cared about that… he was only working as his bodyguard, that was all.

He was wearing the same thing as earlier- at the interview- but he’d switched out the shoes for his own (that he’d scrupulously polished before he left.) Guillermo was intent on making a good impression on the Prince considering that he’d be with him everyday for quite a while. Embarrassingly enough, he’d spent a few minutes practising his introduction in the mirror before his father interrupted him, reminding him not to take too long. Was he supposed to greet him as ‘your majesty?’ Or could he just say ‘sir?’ This was all extremely stressful, but he knew that by the end of the day it would all be sorted, and he’d be in a new room and his new life would simply be the best. Guillermo’s in his prime and he’s going to be spending it with the Prince! Who wouldn’t dream of that?

He was slowly approaching the castle and every step felt as if he weighed more than every building combined. He was so incredibly nervous, but he knew, deep down, that it would be perfectly fine. Sure, he was short and came from a pretty unprivileged family, but he was likeable and he knew it!

After a deep- and much needed- breath, Guillermo knocked on the knocker of the large front door and was greeted by the same maid from earlier. “Hello!” he swallowed, producing a large grin, “Me again!” She nodded,
“Yes, hullo.” She replied quietly, looking at his shoes yet again. She really struggled with eye contact, huh?
“I’m here to meet the Prince. Oh, and I also have my bag!”
“Yes, yes.” She stepped aside, “Just this way please. My colleague will take your bag to your room.” Guillermo nodded excitedly and allowed the butler beside him to take his bag and watched as he walked away. “What’s your name, by the way?” He asked the maid as he walked behind her.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, clearly not expecting such a question. “Meg,” she said, “You’ll probably see my around here quite a bit, I’m one of the regular maids.” Guillermo nodded, “I’m Guillermo! But I’m sure you heard that when I met the King and Queen earlier.” Nodding, she continued walking towards the drawing room where Guillermo assumed the Prince would be waiting.

And, just like that, they were entering the drawing room where the Prince was sitting, alone. Meg introduced Guillermo before stepping aside and waiting by the door.
“Hello!” Guillermo said, bowing his head ever so slightly. “As Meg said, I’m Guillermo.” Smiling a little, he clasped his hands behind his back. Honestly, Guillermo really wasn’t sure what to say now and he just hoped that the Prince would fill the silence.
As if by magic: “Yes, I am Nandor. Although I’m assuming you already know that...” He’d said the last part quietly, as an afterthought. His accent was thick, similarly to his mother’s. Also, he was just as beautiful as Guillermo had imagined. His hair was long and half of it had been tied up in a bun. He wore a beautiful set of velvet clothes, similar to his father’s from earlier. The way he sat atop his chair was elegant, his posture was perfect, and he looked a little like one of those ancient Greek statues that you could find in museums.
“If I’m allowed to say, you look wonderful.” Guillermo smiled contently; a compliment surely gave a good impression? Nandor chuckled and relaxed slightly as he leaned his elbow on the side of his chair and rested his cheek in his hand.
“No need to flatter me.” He replied softly, letting out a sigh, “I would say the same for you but…” he stopped himself and looked around. Guillermo frowned a little and shifted awkwardly,
“I’m wearing my finest clothes.” Nandor nodded, still refusing to look at Guillermo. They were frankly acting like school students. Nandor didn’t really have a filter and usually didn’t realise that what he’d said was rude until after they’d been said. At least you always knew that he was telling truth since he didn’t think twice about what he said.
“Well, I must get back to uh… business.” Nandor said, getting down from his chair and finally turning to Guillermo, “I’m sure you’ll need some time to get settled so Meg will show you to your quarters. For ease, they are opposite mine in any case of me needing your assistance. I will see you later.” Guillermo smiled,
“Thank you,” He replied, turning to Meg as Nandor left. Meg met him with a small smile… this was the first time that he’d seen her smile, actually. She seemed to have let her guard down around him slightly. Guillermo was glad that he’d see more of her because there seemed to be a potential friendship brewing.

As Meg was showing Guillermo the way to his quarters- and giving him a mini tour- they begun talking. Meg still seemed closed off, but they were getting to know each other.
“So, how did you begin working here?” Guillermo had asked and it started a whole series of conversations. He found Meg particularly enjoyable to talk to; everything she said felt so genuine. Soon enough, though, they arrived, and Meg left Guillermo to get ready.
“Oh, but before I go, here’s a key to your room and also a key to get through the castle’s servant door. Of course, you’re not a maid or a butler but you may find it useful.” Guillermo smiled at her and nodded appreciatively,
“Thank you! No doubt I’ll see you again later.”

-

Guillermo’s new room was much bigger than his room at his parent’s house. This room wasn’t even a particularly big room but his old one could almost be considered a cupboard, so he was undeniably happy to be here instead. He didn’t really decorate the room with anything, but he did place his clothes in the wardrobe that was in the room. He also discovered that they’d placed a brand-new suit in there for him which he had to remind himself to thank them for later. He finally wouldn’t look extremely out of place beside them!

Taking out a comb, he brushed his hair in the mirror. He had a nice head of dark curls, but they often stuck out of place, and he had to try harder now, more than ever, to look neat since he was going to be almost constantly in the presence of at least one member of the royal family.
Whilst he was combing his hair, he began thinking about his status within the royal family now. Guillermo knew that he was merely a bodyguard, but he truly hoped that he could create some sort of connection with the family too. Or, at least with Prince Nandor. He thought that being close to Prince Nandor would strengthen his ability to protect him because he’d want to protect him on a personal level as well as professional.

Just as he was about to sit on his bed and check his bag for anything else he’d forgotten to put away, Guillermo heard a knock on his door and jumped up to answer it immediately. Pulling the door open, Guillermo was met with Prince Nandor before him. It was somewhat startling because he was expecting to see Meg if anyone. Also, Nandor was considerably taller than Guillermo, so he had to look up quickly when he noticed that it wasn’t Meg, in order to meet Prince Nandor’s eyes.
“Oh, hello!” he said, probably sounding a little shocked.
“Sorry to bother you.” The Prince said with that thick accent of his, “If you are done, I think that we should do something to get to know one another. I would feel uh… more comfortable if I knew the person that is supposed to be keeping me safe.” Nandor held his hands together in front of him and sort of… swayed awkwardly as he asked this. Guillermo held a blank expression for a moment, still confused. It quickly clicked with him, though, and he smiled up at Nandor. Clearly, he cared as much about this relationship as Guillermo.
“Of course!” He finally replied, chuckling a little. “Did you have anything in mind for we’d get to know each other? I’m not great at starting conversations or anything so…” That was absolutely the wrong thing to say, Guillermo thought immediately after saying it. He needed to show that he was assertive and strong and absolutely not that he can’t make decisions or start conversations.
“Actually, I do have something in mind.”
Phew, Guillermo thought.
“I have a chess board in my room. If you would be so kind as to play a game with me! The way people play chess reveals a lot. Also, if we are occupied with the game then I think that we will find it easier to talk to one another.” Guillermo’s eyes glistened, Prince Nandor had clearly been thinking about how they’d get to know each other. This was good news because it meant that the Prince was already accepting him!
“I would love to play chess!” Guillermo replied, a grin spreading across his face.

Guillermo hurriedly stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Maybe he was showing too much enthusiasm? Oh well, he really wanted to get to know the Prince. He also really wanted to ask how he was supposed to address him…

Nandor smiled a large, sincere, smile back at Guillermo. “No need to explain where my room is, it’s right here,” He said with a small chuckle, opening the door in front of them. Guillermo’s eyes widened as he saw the room; it was huge! The decorations were so extravagant, and it looked as if they’d just walked through a time machine to the 1300s. If majestic was ever a fitting word, it was certainly now.
“Wow!” Guillermo exclaimed, “Your room is insane! These decorations are so unique!” Nandor continued smiling,
“Hah! No-one has ever said that before. Thank you. I’m aiming for… French country meets shabby chic with, perhaps, a tiny bit of modern.”
Guillermo chuckled, “I would never have thought to decorate my room this way. Honestly, this is amazing!”

And, just like that, they both felt at ease. It was like they clicked… in a way.

-

They were about halfway through the game at this point and both Prince Nandor and Guillermo had realised how competitive the other person is. They barely knew each other and yet they were practically battling one another against a checked board. The funny thing was that they both knew they would be just as awkward as before once this game was over. Guillermo found this fact upsetting because he’d grown really quite fond of the Prince Nandor in the time that they’d been playing.
“Hey! That was my knight!” Nandor groaned, cutting Guillermo’s train of thought in two.
“Maybe you should have been paying attention,” Guillermo replied, in an overly exaggerated joking tone; he was still treading lightly considering the person before him was literally the Royal Prince. He absolutely couldn’t wait until their relationship was comfortable enough for him not to worry about what he said all the time.

-

“You’re really good at chess,” Nandor exclaimed as he put the chess set back on his shelf, “I didn’t think you would be.”
“My Papi taught me,” Guillermo replied as he rolled his sleeves up, “I played a lot as a kid. I was even in a chess club at school, I was kind of a nerd.”
“Oh wow…” Nandor replied, laughing but trying- and failing- to hide it. Guillermo rolled his eyes and leant back in his chair.
“Well,” he begun, “That was really fun, actually.” Guillermo was playing with his hands, cracking his knuckles and pinching at his skin. Nandor nodded, also sitting back down, smiling a little at Guillermo. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was warming up to Guillermo. At first, he was sceptical because Guillermo didn’t seem like he’d be any fun or like he’d be any good at this job. But not only was he fun, but he was strong. Nandor could simply tell that Guillermo would do anything and everything to do this job well. Plus, Guillermo was truly trying to form a relationship with Nandor. His old bodyguard had been distant and Nandor felt constantly uncomfortable around him. He had these annoying glasses that he never even used, he merely looked over the top of them and he always wore the same suit that was slightly too big. Nandor felt like a burden… to his own bodyguard.
So, needless to say, Nandor was extremely relieved to be met with Guillermo.

“Um…” Guillermo shifted in his chair, wondering how to approach the question. “How would like you like me address you?” He looked around nervously because he had this lingering feeling that eh may have been really stupid for asking. Should he already have known? “It’s just… I’m not entirely sure what your proper title is. I probably should know but… I don’t, so…” Nandor looked perplexed at Guillermo’s sudden nervousness.
“Just call me Nandor. I hate being called all those long titles that they assigned me.” He smacked his lips as he watched Guillermo become a little less tense, “Nandor the Relentless has a nice ring to it, though,” he joked, laughing a little.
“Nandor it is!” Guillermo replied through stifled laughs from Nandor’s jest. “Considering I beat you at chess, I don’t know if relentless is the right word to describe you.” Quirking an eyebrow, Guillermo finally looked back at Nandor who hadn’t taken his eyes off of Guillermo once. Faking an offended look, Nandor huffed.

-

“It has been nice speaking with you, Guillermo.” Nandor admitted as he held the door open for him. “I will see you at dinner. You will, of course, be joining us.” Guillermo nodded, smiling up at Nandor as he stepped out of the door and waited on the other side. Honestly, he’d assumed that he would eat with the maids and butlers, so it was a nice surprise to find that out, but he didn’t want to seem too excited about it all.
“Later! Could I maybe walk with you to the dining hall? I don’t exactly know my way around yet.” Nandor, of course, agreed and nodded slowly.
“Of course, I would be glad to walk with you.” Content, Guillermo finally turned to open his own door.
“I’ll see you in a while, then.” He said as he closed his door behind him and collapsed onto his bed. That was so nice and much more relaxed than he had expected. Nandor was really sweet and their personalities slotted perfectly into one another like a jigsaw puzzle. Not only that, but the news about him eating with the royals was like the cherry on top. He’d finally found a place that felt like home.