Original Prompt: Anon would like to see historical!fic about Scotland, France, the (oft-ignored on France's end) Auld Alliance, and Scotland realizing that even if he's the Nice Guy in this situation he's always going to lose out to his jerkass younger brother in terms of keeping France's attention.
Bonus: Scotland decides to get back at France and England by consoling himself with an attention-starved Canada.
'Rejection from the first nation you let in outside your family is always the hardest.'Denmark always use to say that as he carried Scotland to the bed he shared with Iceland if he spotted Ireland along the way. But he was still young, not even a proper nation like Denmark and Ireland or even Iceland, just a little bit of land under Viking control. Maybe that was why the words didn't full sink in until much later.
Until France broke his heart for the...for the...
Scotland didn't even know any more.
Norway had been the one to suggested going to the continental nation. Pointing out that, like himself, France frequently fought against England, even winning once or twice. The older nation just neglected to mention how pretty he was. The blond had giggled as Scotland stumbled over his words and he had only nodded back dumbly when he had been asked if he would always come to the other nation's aid, if he would give him his heart and soul.
Maybe if he had been paying a bit more attention he would of realized that there hadn't been any real mention of help for him.
Every time England and France fought, Scotland would come running to France's aid. It was his people who served as the elite guard to France's king. He even gave up the best ship he ever built, the GreatMichael to his ally's cause.
He lost count the number of times he was left to fight England on his own, even if he had begged France for help. And Michael...he was just glad he removed Mons Meg before handing it over after seeing the grand ship's rotten remains.
And through out it all, Scotland could only recall the times that France had scoffed or yelled at him for coming too late, not bringing enough troop or other things that was not up to the continental nations seemingly high standard for what was expected of him. Not England though oh no. There was always praise for his little brother, for the enemy...even if he had messed up more than Scotland.
It wasn't fair.
That was why, at the sniff of gaining the English throne he had mentally pushed the 'Auld Alliance' to one side as he did everything in his power to make sure that England's dear virgin queen would choose her cousin's son. Surely he would be noticed then?
Of course not.
He had to beg him just to take little Charles while his father was captured, tried and executed.
And Wales and Ireland got more of England's attention even when he tried to have arguments
By the time the House of Hanover had taken over the throne and France convinced him to give 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' a fighting chance for the British throne he was at his breaking point.
That was why he fought on both side yet neither. Helped France and the Jacobite work their way southward while pointing England in the right direction when it came to fighting back. It was a foolish plan, almost costing Scotland his sanity in the process.
It also made the desires between France and England more painfully obvious than ever before.
He left his land for a long time after that. First to Canada, just before his people did in the clearances. The boy was constantly shadowing him, speaking in broken Gaelic in a desperate attempt for his attention. Scotland knew it and wanted to give in, to use the boy, take all that he was prepared to give and leave his with the few crumbs that he knew was needed to keep him coming back. See if France liked being ignored by one of his colony's.
He couldn't do it though, knowing how much it hurt.
Scotland somehow stumbled into Russia's land after that and, for the first time in...in a very long time, everything made sense. He was happy and, more importantly, he was actually wanted.
Just a shame it took him demanding that John Maclaren's be recognized by his brother's as their Bolshevik representative for France and England to notice this.
Well, it was better nearly a hundred and fifty years late than never.
1: Before Scotland was Scotland he was Dal Riata, a small kingdom mostly made up of the west coast of Scotland. The majority of the people that were a part of it were a mix of Irish and Viking descent.
2: The Michael, later known as the Great Michael, was one of the largest wooden ships ever built, twice the size of England's Mary Rose and even needed a new harbour built just so it could be built. The cannon Mons Meg, which was used in the siege of Threave Castle, was said to of been used on it. If it's true then it's the largest calibre of cannon ever used on a warship (Mons Meg is now in Edinburgh Castle). Eventually it was given to the French. It may of been the ship that sunk the Mary Rose but most seem to agree that it was pretty much left to rot away.
3: The Jacobite rebellion can be summarised as the following: Ireland, France and Scotland V England and Scotland.
4: When Russia started to build up it's navy it turned to Britain for help. Most of the Naval officers that went were Scots, including one Samuel Greig. Greig quickly became a favourite of Catherine the Great after the Battle of Chesma and, in the process of reforming the Russian navy, encouraged many Scottish engineers to come over. National poet, Robert Burns also became very popular as the people became disillusioned with the monarchy, he remained so during the Soviet era who were the first people to honour him a stamp. Finally, and almost 150 years after Greig, John Maclean was a Scottish socialist and involved in *deep breath* the Social Democratic Federation, Communist Party of Great Britain, Scottish Communist Part (which became the Communist Labour Party to Maclean's disgust) and the Scottish Workers Republican Party! In 1918 he was made the Bolshevik representative in Britain though Westminster refused to recognize him and by April of that year he was arrested and jailed due to his anti war beliefs and released within a month after armistice. The Soviets also gave Maclean a stamp in his honour while Scottish Nationalist and Labour movements both claim his legacy.
Thank you for reading!