#and Romano commenting on Spain's interest and love for old weapons

[asitrita]

Aph Austria x Spain Headcanon

I’ve been lately thinking about Spain and Austria, because it is shocking (not really) that there’s so little content about them and that most people don’t even think of them as a couple (it is even listed as a “rare pairing” in Hetalia wiki), given it is one of the few stablished official pairs in Hetalia, to the point they’re shown to be married (and no, I don’t mean having an alliance, or cooperating, I mean, it is indeed stablished they were a married couple).

Tbh, this ship was not particularly appealing to me either, even though I usually like my ships to be historical, and you can hardly get much more historical than a Spain/Austria ship. I’ve always thought their personalities and tastes appeared to be too different to match. And no, I did not buy into the initial portrayal of Spain as a total airhead, happy-go-lucky, relaxed and smily guy, but still, they didn't do it for me (though the fandom largely exaggerated such traits, as Spain is actually shown to be sad and disappointed, and as someone somewhat wise, in one of his early appearances in the show). I think I always thought of Roderich personality to be too over the top. It’s okay to be strict (like Ludwig is), but he just seemed to be way too strict, way too proper, way too desdainful, way too bland and dull, at all times. There must be more to him that what we are shown, right?

But I have these moments when I think about how actually close they were, and about Austrians’ rather good opinion on Spaniards even after their countries’ estrangement (and not in a good way, I must add). I think about how Austria tried to mimick the very strict rules of the Spanish Court (Spanisches Hofzeremoniell) and the way the Spanish dressed (Spanish fashion was widespread at the time, as was Spanish culture, and language, but was specifically imitated in the Austrian Court), how he valued Spain’s experience and knowledge when it came to equestrian tradition (Spanische Hofreitschule), and how he enjoyed and liked Spanish composers (like Vicente Martín y Soler), even decades after they had fallen apart. Austrians also seemed to have considered Spaniards to be intelligent and wise people, powerful, but benevolent in battle, well dressed, lordly behaved, and righteous. Ironically, they thought the vice of Spaniards to be arrogance and vanity (funny it is apparently Roderich who comes off as the arrogant one in Hetalia, though, truth be told, everyone at the time seem to have thought of the Spaniards as arrogant and/or vain). 

All in all, it has become a headcanon of mine that Roderich probably became the way we know him AFTER being married to Spain. Yes, I know in canon he is shown to be already that snooty before meeting him, heck, it is even said he gave Southern Italy to Spain, when actually those territories had belong to the Spanish monarchs (Kingdom of Aragón) for almost a century before Spain and Austria became acquainted, and it is historically pure nonsense to even imply the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, and Sardinia, were granted to Spain by Austria, when Spain (really, the Spanish monarchs of the Kingdom of Aragón) even had control over Malta at the time (though it would lose it in 1530, soon after their “marriage”). 

Making it simple, I headcanon Roderich to become as “stiff” as we know him to be during his marrige with Antonio. It is a classic case of “overdoing it” (in Spanish “tener la fé del converso”, o “ser más papista que el Papa”). We know Austrias’s way to climb the social ledder of countries and to hold on its position as a powerful and influential nation was through marriage. So he had to be good at that, he had to be up to his couple, up to what his couple may expect of him. So he became everything he thought Antonio valued. Spanish Court ceremonial was strict, so he would become the most severe of them all. Spanish people valued etiquette, so should he. Spanish fashion was over elaborated, and so was Austrias, and when the tides turned and French fashion was in, Austria would stick with certain elements of old Spanish dresscode for a bit longer (I’m thinking about the men's court dress of Austria in the 17th-18th centuries, the Spanish Mantelkleid). Spain was known for elegance, and so was Austria. Spain was precise, careful, a bit haughty in his behaviour and mannerism, and more so ought to be Austria. All in all, Austria modelled himself to became the “perfect” match for Spain, at least for the Spain he knew.

I think Roderich took into this character part to please Antonio, part out of duty for his people, and part because it suited his interests and tastes. While Antonio slowly loosened up, Roderich made this new image his own, for he was comfortable with it and it suited him well. I don't think Antonio was ever unwilling to show a severe self image, I don't think his demeanour was a façade at all. It was no play, the sternness and haughty behaviour was genuine (if anything, it is his laid-back attitude and overly smily self that is, albeit not completly fake, a bit of a façade, for although he is of a cheerful and optimistic nature, time has worn down his optimism and has pushed him to the limits of his sanity more than once). But I do think he naturally softened and relaxed quite a lot when not "in duty", so to speak (relaxed as in less composed, showing more his emotions, expressing his feelings, fears, and needs, I actually think he must have been half paranoid most of the time). Roderich did too, but became so attached to his image of tidiness that it became a bit harder for him to let go, hence the contrast between him and Antonio, more so in modern times.

For whatever reason, imagining Roderich’s personality taking its final form during his 200 years relationship with Antonio makes sense to me, and makes me like and appreciate the pairing quite a lot. I guess I was just missing some more information on Roderich’s behaviour and personality.

I hope that no one takes offence by my take on Roderich personality and its evolution. I’m well aware Austria has a very rich history, and I do not intend to make Spain the corner stone of Roderich’s identity, it is just that I was missing some “origin story” for Roderich, some explanation for his character. And it makes sense Antonio played a very important role in his life, given they got stuck together for 200 years while in their late teens/early adulthood, while still finding themselves out, and the ending of their relationship was a war involving several countries and power houses in Europe, during which Austria was just not willing to give up, and Spain went through a rough civil war (and probably an emotional turmoil, worrying and being suspicious of Roderich's, and mostly Francis', intentions).