The Ian backstory fic is finally here!
This fanfic was inspired by a few posts on Tumblr (leftabit-leftabit shared some research saying that Tudor era servants had contracts to protect them and their rights, oochilka drew fanart of Ian as a child, all bruised and battered, and a short conversation from quite a while ago with simonfarnabyslegs about Ian having friends), plus my headcanon that Ian changed a lot after coming to work for Croydon and was a bit of a troublemaker as a child
There'll be regular weekly chapter updates every Sunday night but first, the (quite short) prologue, set some time after Never Did Run Smooth...
Prologue
"Contract?"
The room fell silent. The conversation between Bill and the Earl of Southampton screeched to a halt as they both, along with Gabriel, turned to look at Ian, whose brow was furrowed in confusion. While his friends seemed concerned by this, the earl glanced between them with a bemused smile.
"Yes...? Is there something wrong, Ian, love?"
Ian blinked as he remembered himself and ducked his head.
"Pardon the interruption, your lordship," he held up a hand in apology, "But what exactly do you mean by a contract?"
The earl shrugged, "Well, the same annual contract you would expect any servant working in England to have these days. To ensure they're being treated properly and their needs are met and so on. Isn't that right, Richard?"
He turned to address the young man standing nearby; his own page, who had accompanied him and was the reason the topic had been brought up.
But Ian barely heard him, or Richard's short reply.
A contract?
"Ian?" Bill's cautious voice only just broke through the ringing in his ears, "Are you alright?"
His head snapped up again. He hadn't even realised he'd looked away.
"I- Yes, I-I'm fine, I just..." there were too many thoughts running through his head to find words to speak, "Excuse me..."
He left the room before anyone could stop him.
A contract. A contract meant to protect servants. Any servant working in England.
Any servant.
Had they...?
One question only bred more, with no certain answers to any of them. Ian hurried up the staircase, silently praying the twins wouldn't hear him; now wasn't the time to be swept up in a game. He entered the bedroom he shared with Gabriel and began feverishly pacing up and down. He didn't even think to make sure the door was closed behind him.
Had the others...?
He was vaguely aware of the sound of someone coming up the stairs. A soft push against the open door. A very deliberate footstep, expertly placed to ensure that the floorboard beneath it would creak and alert him. Gabriel.
"Ian?"
He immediately wrapped his arms around her in a fierce embrace. God, he needed her comfort, her warmth. Some reassurance to still the buzzing in his brain. But it wasn't enough, the questions kept begging to be answered, and he reluctantly stepped back and returned to his restless pacing.
"Ian?" she repeated, more desperate this time, "Mi amor, please, tell me what is troubling you."
"A contract, Gabriel!" his voice shot up as he spun round to face her again, eyes wide, and she couldn't help but jump, such outbursts from Ian were few and far between, but she stood her ground as he came towards her. Gently, as always, even in this state, his hands gripped her wrists and drew her closer. He leaned down to meet her eyes, "Servants are meant to work under a contract."
She cupped his face in her hands, "You did not?"
"Of course not. Croydon treated me however he liked, I had nothing to protect me. And-" he cut himself off with a frustrated sigh and broke away from her to sit down on their bed, his head in his hands.
Gabriel followed, sitting beside him, "And...?"
"... And the others..."
"Others?"
"His other servants."
Now, this was truly a surprise to her, "There were others? I thought you were the only one."
"I was, for a long time. Years. But I was barely thirteen years old when I left home to work for the earl. He had a whole staff back then. Smaller than other courtiers might have had, I'm sure, but still a few people to share the workload."
"A whole staff with no contracts to ensure their safety? How could he-"
"No."
"... No?"
For a moment or two, Ian said nothing. Gabriel sat studying his face, watching his brow furrow and his eyes dart back and forth as he thought.
"No..." he started, finally putting the pieces together, "I heard about the position as a whisper around town. After he hired me, he never approved of me being friends with any of the others, talking with them, wasting time when we should have been working. Then... then he got rid of them, one by one... sent them away... until I was the only one left. They all had contracts. They had rights..." he looked up at Gabriel, "I didn't. And if I didn't know anything about it then he could do whatever he pleased."
"Why did you stay?"
Ian swallowed back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"For Alice."
