[h3][b]Within the dining hall of the castle...[/b][/h3]

Calm, and silent, Silvano remained still at the back of the room, leaning up against the large embellished wall. Staring out through the beautiful coloured glass of the window that took up most of the space behind the long head table that spanned across the length of the hall, where the king and his family would sit during royal feasts and celebrations.

Tuned out from the Queen's incessant yelling from behind, in fact, tuned out from the entire room, Silvano merely hid his sorrow and frustration behind a mask of nothingness, watching as the various dignitaries arrived to pay their respects to the king's passing at the soon to be held funeral. [color=82ca9d][i]I'll no doubt have to prepare a speech[/i][/color], Silvano thought to himself as he reminisced over the memories he had of his father.

[center]*****[/center]

[color=f7941d]"Your grace, please,"[/color] the royal advisor whined, pleading to the king as he stared out over the throne room with a blank expression, leaning back in his throne, his fingers tracing back and forth along the right-side arm. [color=f7941d]"You must be cautious of the repercussions of your actions! If word spread that you were courting a stra-"[/color] The king held up his hand towards the royal advisor, causing him to fall silent almost immediately. A wiry and visibly weak man, Imalio knew that he had stepped over the line, and awaited the king's calm, yet menacing wrath.

[color=fff200]"She has a name, Imalio, one that you had best get used to speaking."[/color] Michaelangelo lowered his hand and turned his head to give the advisor a cold glare. [color=fff200]"And the day I start following [i]your[/i] advice on women is the day I am no longer fit to call myself a man, let alone a king."[/color] And with that, he released a raucous, hearty laugh, eliciting a nervous one from Imalio to match. When the laughter had died down, the king turned to the young lad who had just entered the room.

A smile on his face, the king bid him approach with a gesture, before asking, [color=fff200]"Tell me, Silvano; what do you think I should do about Ravenna?"[/color] Silvano looked between his father and Imalio, stood at the bottom of the steps. [color=39b54a]"Well, father; if you truly love her, and she loves you, then I think you should go for it!"[/color] And with that, Imalio knew he had lost, and the matter was never spoken of again.

[center]*****[/center]

A small, inaudible sigh escaped Silvano's lips as he slowly returned to reality, retreating from his reverie. [color=82ca9d][i]What a young fool I was, to think love so simple and straightforward.[/i][/color] It was at this moment that Silvano turned slightly to look over into the room, inspecting the array of people in the dining hall. He was surprised, and rather saddened, to see that Julietta was missing. With the royal wedding impending, they had become distant... painfully so.

Silvano's worries did not stop there, however; with his father, the king, now dead, and his bride to be quickly on her way to Roma, it was clear that a coronation would soon take place. The responsibility of monarchy was something Silvano wanted nothing of, and yet he knew the moment he was born as the first and only prince, he would one day wear the crown. What he wouldn't give to simply take Julietta and run, live in a hut within a forest far away. But unfortunately, that would leave his step-mother in charge, and something told him that wasn't a good idea...

[color=82ca9d][i]An impossible stalemate, to be sure.[/i][/color]

[h3][b]Amongst the crowd of servants...[/b][/h3]

Standing tall to the side of spacious hall, Gregory kept a careful eye on the Queen and Prince, though he was focused more on Silvano, stood beside the large coloured-glass window. No doubt he was taking things hard, what with his father's funeral and his own wedding both soon approaching. [color=a36209][i]A lot of weight on one man's shoulders.[/i][/color]

But alas, Gregory did not have time to console or help the Prince with his woes; for the very same reasons he had them. Tasked with preparing Silvano for the coming days, he had little time to spare between protecting him, readying him, and getting any sleep. [color=a0410d]"Rough weeks ahead,"[/color] he muttered to himself, making sure nobody could hear his train of thought. He could see that his stern expression and strong stance were visibly intimidating, as the servants occasionally eyed him with fear. [color=a36209][i]Good. I'm doing my job then.[/i][/color]

[h3][b]Meanwhile, within the bedroom of the Princess...[/b][/h3]

Tears. Unending tears. That was all she could muster.

Laying beneath her covers, Coventina could not get out of bed, her body shaking as her tears dampened her pillows. She knew she'd have to make an appearance at some point today, with all the foreign dignitaries arriving for the funeral. [color=6ecff6][i]The funeral...[/i][/color] The sudden thought of it quickly brought another wave of tears, her wailing sadness obviously echoing out into the hallway. But she didn't care, her door was locked; right now she needed to be alone.

[color=00aeef]"F-father... Wh-why..."[/color] Her words were muddled and sloppy, her breath hitching as she continued to cry over the loss of her father. All she had now was her brother and mother, her only companions, save for of course Julietta. What she wouldn't give to share her sorrows with her, but she was nowhere to be seen; no doubt she was off sorrowing alone as well, what with the king being so kind to her. In fact, Coventina imagined many would be weeping over his passing, especially at the funeral.

Once again, more tears washed out from her eyes and into her pillow, as she huddled up under the covers of her bed.

[h3][b]Some distance away...[/b][/h3]

Valari slowly entered the room as he was let in by the guard, his pitch black plate armour clanking slightly with each step. He smiled as the Princess spotted him, one hand clenched beside him, the other held firmly on the hilt of his broadsword, within it's scabbard. Stopping before her, Valari graciously bowed forward, before speaking, [color=004b80]"It's been some time, Elena. Or, would you prefer I call you [i]your grace[/i]?"[/color] The bitterness could be heard plainly in his tone as he mockingly said her soon-to-be title.

"My sister has sent me to escort you to Roma, no doubt as punishment for my insubordination towards her grand plan." He huffed with contempt, rolling his eyes before resting them back on Elena. [color=004b80]"Honestly, I do not know what you see in that dolt of a Prince. He is much to wild, a worthless match for a friend such as you, Princess."[/color] He shook his head in disgust, before gesturing for her to follow. [color=004b80]"If you are ready, we can leave immediately. The journey to Roma is long, and my sister believes it best if you are present at the late king's funeral."[/color]