How Do You Do? I

Posted on Wed Jan 25th, 2023 @ 12:11am by Amalie Cochrane & Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Empress Cosima Orsini & Crown Prince Paolo Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 8:49pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Zephyr Estate
Timeline: Date 2371-07-21 at 1400
6844 words - 13.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Before the year 2063, no one in the world knew of Bozeman, Montana except perhaps the residents of Montana itself, though even that was hit or miss. Then on one clear April day, that changed - the whole world changed. Zephram Cochrane's launch of the Phoenix was unarguably one of the most, if not indeed the most, pivotal moments in human history. For the charming little city of Bozeman it was the end of its existence as it had been and a rebirth into a cultural hub and popular tourist destination. Thankfully, the governance of Montana itself had kept a firm hold on the situation and not allowed it to spiral out of control and completely ruin the natural beauty of the area completely. It would remain a micropolitan area through the years even as the times changed and the political landscape shifted. The Cochrane family had been the lords of Bozeman since there were lords to be had, it was natural and no one ever questioned it.

Though the steady population of Bozeman rarely exceeded forty thousand, it was a massive tourist destination with all manner of people coming and going daily. It was immaculately maintained despite this, and retained a very old world charm with the careful reconstruction of historic buildings with new materials. There had of course been construction in the city, but all of its buildings were kept under ten stories tall outside of the single governmental building which towered over the rest at twenty stories tall. Thankfully, it was not an eyesore and was considered quite the beautiful piece of construction. The neighboring city of Livingston bore the brunt of tourist housing, but it had in turn become quite a destination itself simply for its proximity to Bozeman and less stringent in their building regulations.

Nestled just south of what had formerly been known as Baldy Mountain was known known as Zephyr Peak was the Zephyr Estate, home of the Lord of Montana Bernard Cochrane and his family. The Zephyr Estate itself was a magnificent piece of architecture and quite creative. It had not been adapted to the more Roman styles that had become popular with the reign of the Orsinis and had instead remained as it had, a very modern building with a roof that swept and curved upward in pieces, evoking the mind's eye to picture wind or wings. There was a eight mile radius around the estate that served as a perimeter to keep the common people away, though on occasion the public would be allowed access to simply revel in the majesty of the historic estate. Like any proper noble residence, around the grounds were dotted various smaller apartments to house longer term guests instead of having them in the main house. There were various amenities for recreation as well like tennis courts, pools, and even stables for horseback riding.

Lady Rachel Cochrane's personal pride and joy however were the gardens she saw maintained to perfection and was a place where they often hosted parties in the warmer months. Today's party was sure to be one of the most important they had hosted in quite some time. There was an excitement in the air and she had seen to absolutely everything. It had to be perfect.

A shuttle sped over the mountain range below the dazzling blue clouds. The shuttle flew the imperial flag and was marked for the royal family. Inside it, three of the family’s members were standing inside. The Empress stood in front of a mirror adjusting a long dark-green dress with silver clasps. Behind her, Paolo sat in a seat, his face directed down at the floor. He wore a tuxedo with a white bow tie and coat tails.

“Is there going to be anyone interesting at this party at all?” He asked in a quiet voice. “And by interesting I mean politically informed…intelligent people.”

Giana looked over to her brother from her own seat. She was wearing a knee length light blue chiffon dress with a skirt that flowed and had appliques of white lace flowers decorating the hem of the skirt and also decorated the top of the dress around the sweetheart neckline. The fluttering cap sleeves kept it tasteful and youthful. The gold and pearl jewelry she wore simply accented the look.

"There will be interesting people there, Paolo, yes, but don't forget this is supposed to be a social visit, not a political one."

“What, exactly, is the point of that?” Paolo asked, clearly experiencing a bit of anxiety. Nerves were getting the better of him in regards to his not having politics as a conversation crutch. “Now that I’m Crown Prince, people pay me a lot more attention than I want.”

Giana forced herself to not roll her eyes at him. She spoke patiently, "Paolo, this is something father wants you to do. He is a wonderful Emperor, but one of his weaknesses is sociability. He does not want you to have that same weakness and wants you to attend these events to learn."

“Father gets on fine with people…and he’s done well, I think.” Paolo said, trying futile words to escape the present situation. He knew that it was lost however, and eventually shrugged. “Fine.”

“Don’t worry, Paolo. You will do well. You’re a very pleasant boy. Just play the polite one and make sure you spend more time asking questions than talking about your self and your interest.” Cosima said, looking down at her son. She gave Giana a knowing grin which had no concern in it. He had been to many parties before and generally did well besides being a bit awkward.

Giana gave a weak smile to her mother. She knew what her duty was today and she would perform it. Internally she wondered if this situation was different for men and boys. She supposed it was more often than not; men could content themselves with a pretty face and figure and they didn’t have to deal with being paired with women who were twice their senior. For a boy like Paolo… well he was young enough to be taught to like anything, really, not that fourteen year old boys were especially discerning anyways.

“Just remember to try and smile. You have a nice smile.”

Paolo looked at her, at first with eyes that probed the way their father's would have, looking for signs of genuineness. It certainly wasn't normal for Giana to pay him a compliment or, in any way, to be kind. But she had been so....nice recently. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still, he could see that her intentions were genuine, so he smiled at her, genuine also if not a bit awkward. Then he stood.

"I'll try to smile." he said, looking between her and his mother. "Is there anyone I should talk to in particular? I haven't been briefed by someone from the Social Office as I normally am."

"Well, we'll of course make introductions with Lord Cochrane and there will be other lords there to at least greet." Giana looked at him. "Something you will have to keep in mind at a social occasion, Paolo, is that you should never stay with one group too long at the beginning. People may take it as you playing favorites or as a personal affront. I will stay with you at first and then if you feel overwhelmed when you are alone, you can come and find myself or mother and we will help you."

"People are so petty." Paolo said with a tone of disapproval. He was much more surly than normal, experiencing more of the teenage boy side of the brilliant and mature adolescent. "I'll try to make the stupid rounds, as you say. I wouldn't want people to think I have a natural affinity for liking some people more than others as do normal people."

"People are petty, yes." Giana agreed and then looked at him, "Remember, Paolo, you aren't a normal person. You are the Crown Prince and will be called a god someday."

Paolo sighed and said nothing, but he didn't seem to withdraw from the message at all. Clearly, he understood what she meant, but he didn't pretend to be happy about it in the moment.

The shuttle made its final approach over the estate and hovered high over the landing pad dozens of meters away from the main house. Underneath the descending shuttle, a line of Imperial Guards gathered around an ornate red carpet that had been neatly unfurled from the pad to the entrance to the mansion. The guard had arrived the day before to search and secure the grounds and, though they were annoying, presumptuous, and rigid, they made it the safest place in Montana for a few days at least. A crowd of guests gathered behind the straight line of guards, watching, waiting, and remarking. The shuttle touched down and a royal herald stepped down the carpet with a a gilded bullhorn-like device with an elegant design. He would announce the royals as they stepped out one at a time. The hosts, Lord Cochrane and his wife, were waiting at the base of the steps to greet them.

"Everyone ready for the usual song and dance?" Cosima asked, leaning over and making an adjustment to one of the flowers on Giana's dress. She smiled at her daughter a smile she hadn't given her in years. She was clearly quite happy with her for coming back into the fold, and she had made it known several times. She knew it couldn't have been easy.

"It's the same as always, right? I just go...not after Giuseppe...anymore." Paolo said, clearly nervous.

Giana had glanced to her mother, noticed the smile, and gave one in return though it didn't reach her eyes. Her mind was elsewhere and it was simply an automatic reaction to being smiled at anymore. She looked back to Paolo.

"Right you'll go after mother, though obviously your title has changed too." She reminded him lightly. She could see he was nervous and did feel for him, she remembered being nervous at that age. "Just take deep breaths."

The shuttle doors opened slowly in an intricate display. They were designed to add to the awe of the moment at seeing a royal in the flesh for the first time. Cosima stepped forward and stood at the top of the ramp, which itself had been lined with red carpet of the same kind as was on the walkway, and looked out with a face of regal stone at the sudden applause from the crowd. Having a member of the Imperial Family to a party stole the hosts thunder, but increased their favor, influence, and prestige much much more. All eyes were directed toward her as the herald spoke.

"Her Most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Consort to the Glorious Emperor Antonius, Lady of the Terrans, Mother of the Heir to the Empire. All hail Cosima Idalia Anello Orsini!"

She smiled then, and stepped down the stairs the way she had done a thousand times in the last seven years, and then thousands of times before that when she was wife of the Crown Prince. It was like nature and she moved with grace and a kind expression. When she was at the bottom of the stairs, she stood before the Cochranes, but didn't initiate any contact or conversation. Instead she remained above them, giving them a polite gaze, and turned her back to them, looking back to the shuttle.

Paolo was next, and he stood on the ledge as his mother had. This was a fact of life since he was born, first as Grand Duke, then Prince, and now as the Crown Prince. His heart beat soundly in his chest. The extra pressure of the promotion bringing a swell of attention to him he'd never seen before or wanted. He blinked, his face resolute as they practiced so many times before.

"His Most Imperial Highness, Crown Prince and Heir to the Empire, Son of the Glorious Emperor Antonius, All hail Paolo Antonio Marco Cristoforo Orsini Caesar!"

That new "Heir to the Empire", which he was used to hear associated with his brother and, when he was little, his father, increased his anxiety even more as the applause resounded. His smile then was completely forced as he stepped down the stairs, joined his mother, and turned to look for Giana.

Giana had waited impatiently in the shuttle and watched her mother and brother precede her. It wasn't aimed at them, she was simply tired of being on the shuttle. Once Paolo had moved off, she waited a couple beats and then took her place at the ledge. She had perfected looking the stoic royal while still remaining pleasant in the face instead of severe.

"Her Most Imperial Highness, Princess and Daughter of the Glorious Emperor Antonius, the Princess Royal, Lady of the Terran Northern Dominion. All hail Giana Maria Pia Pietra Orsini!"

As she was announced, she gave a small smile and a slight nod, bestowing those gathered with the favor of royal acknowledgement. She began to walk down, and about halfway she noticed Paolo wasn't paying attention. She called to him, her lips barely moving.

"Paolo, your hand." She prompted him quietly. It was proper for him now to turn and receive her hand in a gentlemanly fashion to "assist" her off of the ramp. Giuseppe would have done it before, but he was no longer here.

Another one of those duties which he paid no attention to when his brother was at them. He blinked, somewhat surprised, and then stepped forward to offer her his hand. At the moment their hands touched, the crowd roared with applause, no doubt for him. This was a sign that the roles had changed, and his older brother was no where in sight.

He guided Giana down to join their mother on the top step and he looked at her. Giuseppe had always been a bit short with him, and his father's greater affection for him had always enraged the boy, but his survival instinct had kept him away, knowing Antonius was always watching and was close enough with the boy that he would know as soon as Giuseppe laid a hand on him. He felt for his sister; her life had been harder than anyone cared to admit.

Cosima then reached out and offered her hand to Lord Cochrane, initiating that royal contact which they had waited for. Cameras flashed as the family got their moment of attention. They would see those pictures made public in the press the best they could; they would frame them and keep them on their wall.

"Lord Cochrane; Lady Cochrane. It's lovely to meet you." she said sweetly, a veteran of this kind of thing.

Bernard Cochrane was not the tallest man nor the most handsome man in the world, but he had a solid, authoritative presence about him. He wore a sharply tailored dark blue suit with a white shirt and a brown and blue tie. He bowed to Cosima and took her hand, pressing his lips to it respectfully. "You honor us, Imperial Majesty." He straightened and released her hand, then bowed again to Paolo and Giana. "Imperial Highnesses, we are pleased to host you."

He gestured to his wife. "My beloved wife, Lady Rachel Cochrane."

Rachel smiled warmly and curtsied to them respectfully. She was in a gorgeous black and white dress with tasteful gold jewelry and while she was a host, she had obviously dressed to be more of a background presence instead of a standout.

"Our children." He gestured to a long line of nine children, the eldest was in his mid twenties while the youngest appeared to be a girl of maybe four years old. There seemed to be six girls and three boys. All were sharply dressed and on cue, they all gave their greetings. "My eldest, Royce." He gestured for his son to break formation with the other children and come up so he could be properly introduced.

Royce bowed again, nervous, but he was powering through it.

"Royce. It's wonderful to meet you as well." Cosima said, offering her hand to him. Paolo, for his part, attempted to do what Giuseppe would have done, and walked around his mother to offer Royce his hand.

Giana caught Paolo before he really even moved, grabbing him by the shoulder firmly to keep him in place, but at the same time she bent down and indicated upward with her hand toward the roof as if she were pointing it out to her brother. She spoke quietly to him. "Wait until after mother as a courtesy. It is your right to go first, but that is not the gentlemanly way, that was Giuseppe's way to push in before others. Shake Bernard's hand first, you may kiss Rachel's hand if you want, and then shake Royce's hand." She turned her head enough that the crowd could see her smile and they wouldn't know anything was amiss, then she straightened again.

Royce took Cosima's hand and none of the Cochranes seemed to notice anything was amiss. He pressed his lips to it respectfully and smiled at her.

"Thank you." Paolo said quietly. He realized that, had she done such a thing to Giuseppe, he would have likely had some serious reprisal for her later. Paolo sighed. He was glad that monster couldn't hurt her anymore. Once mother was done receiving the kiss from Royce, she stepped back and he stepped forward. He grabbed Bernards hand and gave it a firm shake, though his hand was obviously smaller than man's. He then grabbed the hand Rachel extended and kissed it. "Thank you for this invitation. You two have a lovely home."

He spoke honestly the most genuine compliment he could think of, and then turned to shake Royce's hand. The release was slightly awkward, and he turned to walk back to Giana, not having paid any attention to the other children. He may see them later if it was in the cards.

Giana moved after Paolo, offering her hand to Bernard. "I'm so pleased to be here. I've been looking forward to speaking with you, Lord Cochrane."

"Of course, Imperial Highness. There is much to talk about after your appointment. The lords are pleased." They weren't really, but absolutely no one was going to say that and who knew, maybe she would actually be good at the job. He bowed his head respectfully to her.

She then stepped to Rachel, offering a smile and nod. "Lady Cochrane, everything looks so beautifully done. You've put in so much effort and it shows."

"Thank you, Imperial Highness." Rachel smiled genuinely and curtsied to Giana.

She then stepped to Royce and offered her hand. "Royce, a pleasure to see you again."

Royce took Giana's hand and bent to kiss it, though as he did he looked up into her eyes. He lingered, then pulled back. "The pleasure is mine."

Giana favored him with a smile and then stepped away. Whether any of what she had said was genuine was unclear, it was highly doubtful knowing Giana but that also didn't matter. What mattered was she made them - and everyone around them - believe that it was. She had always been excellent at that.

Once the introductions were over, Bernard gave a pleasant smile. "Please, allow me to escort you inside. He extended his hand for the royals to precede him indoors. As they entered, they were greeted with a grand white marble foyer. In the middle was a beautiful golden statue of two phoenixes in flight, twisting around each other and extending their wings. Behind it was a split marble staircase and in the middle of the two sections and set behind them was a large open area where sliding glass doors had been opened to the garden outside. It was truly magnificent, light poured through the tall multi storied windows, and the walls held doors and archways off to different parts of the main level.

"It is straight out to the gardens." Bernard pointed out. The rest of the guests had been taken inside a different entrance and were already filtering out into the garden where string music was playing a pleasant and upbeat tune for the casual garden party.

Cosima immediately turned to engage the hosts, as was proper since she was the senior one between the three of them. Paolo immediately looked for a corner to step into and headed off in that direction, forgetting that Giana was supposed to go with him. He smiled at people, and when they made their subtle moves to speak to him, he pretended not to see. Stepping past a slave holding a tray of champagne, he stepped to the bar which had been set up at the end of the garden.

"Do you have any cranberry juice back there?" he asked, looking at the man behind the bar.

"I-I... O-of course, your Imperial Highness." The bartender said, startled that suddenly he now had the crown prince sitting in front of him ordering directly for himself. He quickly bent behind the bar to find the damned cranberry juice.

Giana had moved off to a group, having expected Paolo to follow, but when she found he was missing, she quickly wrapped up the short greeting and went to find him. It wasn't hard, and she walked up just as he was being served his juice. "Paolo," she called to him, annoyance touching her voice but she was doing her best to keep it controlled, "did you forget something?"

"No, I..." he started, and then looked down at his glass. "I wanted juice."

He stepped away from the bar after having thanked the man behind it. He looked at her as if he didn't know what was wrong and then seemed to remember suddenly.

"I was supposed to stay with you, wasn't I?" he asked.

"Yes, you were." She paused and looked to the bartender, then back to Paolo. She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "It is also unseemly for you to order your own drink. You should ask one of the servers to get it for you."

As she said this, she straightened and looked to the bartender. "A glass of your best white wine, please."

Obviously again, she was helping to save face for her brother. Paolo ordering alone was a faux pas, but both of them doing so was quirky in a good way. It seemed Giana was genuinely trying to help him succeeded in navigating this first social event as crown prince. When the bartender handed her the drink, she took it and looked down to her brother. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, really." he said, his tone dismissive, but not aggressively so. He smiled. "No one ever cared about that before. They told me I should ask the servants, but I like talking to the bartenders. They're always so nice and surprised I'm even there in the first place."

He sighed, taking a sip of his drink and then looking at her.

"Ready for what?"

There was the briefest flash of irritation across Giana’s face at his dismissive attitude. Were she not making the attempt to be kinder to him as she promised, she would have left him right then and there and let this entire endeavor be a disaster. She took a sip of wine to buffer and then spoke, her tone slightly more terse. “You weren’t Crown Prince before, and are you ready to come and make the rounds with me like we agreed?”

He sighed gently, more resignation than protest, and then nodded.

"Yes, I'm ready." he said, standing up tall then and putting on his princely face. Despite it all, he had spent many years doing just this. it was just that the only people who wanted to talk to him before were the people who actually enjoyed his conversation. He could speak on topics of government for hours, and the Secretariat loved his perspectives on their policies and papers, finding them refreshing. But in a conversations that happened in places like this, he was awkward and tense, going back and forth between being completely silent and monopolizing the conversation.

The gods were testing her newfound resolve, that was the only explanation. The problem was, that resolve was really not strong at all even if she wanted it to be. She took another sip of wine for courage and moved back out into the party with Paolo. She decided perhaps a group of slightly older people might make for a better social introduction than the younger crowd who would be more prone to talk of current social events. The older crowd might have some political points to bring up.

Maybe.

She approached with Paolo and while many would have to wait for a break in the conversation to be polite, the conversation broke for her instead. The group of four looked to their approaching Princess and Crown Prince.

"Good afternoon Lord Weimer, Lord Mayor Smith, Lady Mayor Sen, Mr. Probst." With each name she gave them a nod of greeting, an appropriate pause, and then moved to the next person. She then placed her hand between Paolo's shoulderblades on his back to bring him forward and slightly in front of her. "You all know of my brother of course, but please allow me to introduce you face to face. Paolo, Lord Weimer of Pennsylvania, Lord Mayor Smith of Richmond, Lady Mayor Sen of Takayama, and Mr. Probst of Macon Jewelers."

The group greeted Paolo as one with bows and a curtsy. Lord Mayor Smith was the first to speak. "An honor, Highness. Allow me to congratulate you on your ascension."

“Thank you, Lord Mayor. You’ve very kind.” Paolo said with a grin. The fact that they were lords truly helped him. “It’s good to meet all of you. Lord Weimar, I had the pleasure of speaking briefly in your state a few months ago and I enjoyed one of your ‘Philly cheesesteaks’ for lunch. It was delicious, but I had to change my suit after because I got it all over myself.”

He wasn’t used to eating large hand food, of course. Such things were for the poor. Still, he smiled and chuckled, indicating it was meant to be amusing.

Well, at least something was going right. Giana gave an internal sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. She allowed Paolo to engage without her influence, but was paying attention in case he floundered and needed to be rescued.

The group laughed softly and politely as Paolo chuckled, whether they found what he said amusing or not wasn't really clear, but they made it look like they had been amused at the very least. "Yes, they are rather good, though there are many different styles and most citizens are quite passionate about which they feel is best. Perhaps you will come back and try more varieties and let the people know what you think."

“I might express my views on all manner of thing, my Lord. Military procurement; foreign policy; education policy. But they say it’s not politic for me to voice my opinions in the truly important things, like varieties of local sandwiches.” Paolo said with a smile. “Those things, generally, are dearer to the heart of the commoner. But I’d gladly come by and allow you to feed me a feast if cheesteaks. I’m sure they’ll all be my favorites.”

Paolo, turned his eyes to the next man in line.

“Mr. Probst. I hear the jewelry business is very good now that the Empire has expanded. New customers, new mines and gems.”

Probst flashed his large, pearly white teeth at Paolo. "Yes, indeed, Highness. Though very soon I do believe I will have some competition." He looked to Giana.

Giana smiled politely to the man. "Soon, yes, though there is enough demand for fine jewelry that we will all prosper."

Of course she would prosper the most.

"Of course, of course." He still wore his grin that was maybe just a bit too large and looked back to Paolo. "Perhaps his Highness would like a custom piece made by my company to wear?"

Giana took a sip of her wine but didn't cut in. She was curious how Paolo would deal with that offer.

“I’m gifted in many things, Mr. Probst, but questions of fashion I leave to others. I honestly only care about my ties.” Paolo smiled, "but perhaps you can convince Princess Giana and she can pick something for me.”

"We'll talk about it." Giana gave a nod to the man in acknowledgement of what Paolo had said.

"Ties are very important to a look, they can say a lot about a man." Lady Mayor Sen spoke up, her English accented with her Japanese heritage, but she spoke clearly enough. "Don't you think, Highness?"

“Absolutely. Color, fabric, and even style and pattern tell us loads about the wearer.” Paolo said. He excelled at talking with older people, and he had to admit he was actually having some fun.

"Do you have a style or two you tend to prefer?" She asked politely.

Giana had disengaged from the conversation and was looking around for the next group she would take Paolo to, perhaps a mix of younger and older, but they were a bit hard to come by. She also didn't want to completely exhaust him, but it was clear he was in his comfort zone and that was not what they were there for.

"Well, at formal events like this one, the white bow tie is my usual. But, daily, I tend to wear a standard necktie of standard width. I have to confess, to my shame, a secret love for the ascot." Paolo said with a smile. It wasn't the most interesting conversation in the world, but in his view it was good, solid small talk.

Sen giggled at Paolo’s admission, but wore a warm smile of approval all the same. “Brave man, not many people can pull off an ascot, but I have a feeling you do so wonderfully,”

Deftly, Giana slid herself into the conversation before it could continue. “Oh he does, trust me.” She paused a single beat and smiled to be polite, and then moved on. “If you’ll excuse us, now, it was wonderful to speak with all of you.”

She gestured toward another group wall looking at Paolo, indicating that was where he should go. There had been no appropriate mixed groups, so into the deep end it was with her peers in their twenties.

Without seeing exactly where Giana was pointing, Paolo nodded politely to the group they were with and turned with her to greet the next gathering.

"That was fine. Just like before, actually." he said with an optimistic tone. "Perhaps this won't be so bad afterall."

Giana thought about offering him a drink of her wine and she might have done it were they not in such a public place but out here was much too public. As they approached the group, Paolo would more clearly be able to see who they were heading toward. “I can lead the conversation here, but chime in when you have something to say.”

Paolo's eyes went slightly wide, but he hid it. This was the kind of nobility he tried his best to avoid. Giana's set. Glamourous, popular, vain. Politically connected without being politically astute. Even the ones who sat on the Council of Lords knew nothing real about the governing of the Empire. He avoided the desire to slink behind her and stood up straight.

"Deep breath. Make sure to breathe." She reminded Paolo just before they came into earshot of the group.She smiled pleasantly and made herself part of the group. "Good afternoon everyone."

She looked to Paolo so he could step up closer. "Paolo, let me introduce to you Lord Noah Sibiya, Alonso Rossi of Florence, and Anabela Chaves of Portugal." Sibiya didn't need placed, Paolo would know he was of South Africa, but she placed Alonso and Anabela for him for reference.

"What a pleasure to meet you, Imperial Highness." Anabela said with a giggle to her voice which made Giana immediately roll her eyes.

Paolo looked up at the woman who had spoken first and, noticing her pretty features, well-done hair, and big brown eyes, he was made even more anxious. Beauty put him off. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“That’s kind of you to say, my Lady. He said, averting his gaze and looking at Lord Sibiya instead. His gaze wasn’t helpful, but actually seem to communicate certain imperious judgment the others lacked. Being in the inner circle of lords did that to a young man.

“Lord Sibiya, a pleasure as always. And Lord Alonso, you look well.”

“My Princess, I wanted to congratulate you on your lordship. I always knew you would be great in politics.” Noah said, having given Paolo only a cursory glance. His eyes found Giana searchingly. He had failed to bed her, but he had so wanted to. And the marriage proposal seemed impossible.

“Did you really?” Giana spoke, her tone pleasant though her blue eyes were like ice as she looked at him. She obviously didn’t but that for even an instant. “Though I’m sure you’d also like to offer your public congratulations to my brother on his ascension?” She prompted Sibiya. The message was quite clear: you won’t overlook my brother.

“I did, really.” Noah answered her, his face still pleasant. His eyes then shifted to the little prince beside her, less interested and respectful for sure. “Congratulations, Highness. You’re ascension might have cost your brother dearly, but I have a feeling it’s to our benefit.”

Paolo didn’t even pretend to take it as a genuine compliment. He was too smart for his own good sometimes, and where a polite word may have quieted a man like Sabina, he resisted it. He gave him a look much like one their father might have given, strange on a face typically so kind and quieted.

“Or perhaps not, my Lord.” He said, holding the older man’s gaze with alarming steel. “I might show myself to be surprisingly inconvenient for you indeed, some day.”

Giana hid her smirk behind her wine glass as she took another sip, watching Sibiya's expression as he was so nonchalantly reminded of Paolo's position. She didn't let the moment linger into awkwardness, however, and smiled at Anabela. "What a lovely dress that is, who designed it?"

"Mm? Oh, this?" Anabela looked down at herself and the lovely mint green dress she was wearing. "Morgana Masterson. I love her styles."

"I see, I think I have something from her in my own wardrobe." Giana seemed to ponder, but really did not care.

"Are there any designers you are fond of, Highness?" Anabela asked, looking down at Paolo with her lovely dark eyes.

"Me?" Paolo asked, pointing to himself and furrowing his brow. "As in clothing designers? Well, I've read financial reports and business updates for Giana's company weekly for the past month, so I have some idea how to run a company of that kind."

He stopped as if he had answered the question, and then, when he saw the girl's face, he understood she didn't see it that way. He gave a smile, innocent and kind.

"I couldn't even tell you what I'm wearing right now, my Lady." he said, less ashamed than amused. People generally cared about that sort of thing, but he certainly didn't. If he didn't have attendants around him, he'd probably be wearing boots right now. He looked up at Anabela, still a bit awkward and nervous. "What about you?"

“Well, I am a fan of Morgana Masterson, obviously.” She giggled again and indicated to her dress. She then bent forward slightly, indicating the halter neckline that had plunged down low enough to now reveal some cleavage as she bent forward. “She makes the most interesting necklines, don’t you think.”

“Anabela, silly thing. Bowing is for men.” Giana spoke, her voice sickly sweet and full of venom as she watched the woman. It was almost as bad as Contessa, but Contessa thought she ruled the world already. “I find those necklines so predictable really.”

Anabela frowned as she straightened and looked at Giana. She was about to say something but Giana bulldozed her by continuing.

“With Paolo being Crown Prince now, he will have to be selective of whose designs he presents as you all well know.” She then looked down at Paolo. “Though hopefully some of mine will impress you enough.” She smiled at him, it seemed genuine and in good humor. Rossi chuckled for his part, Anabel gave a strained giggling sound while she dealt with being shamed by the princess.

She then turned her eye back to Noah and seemed like she was about to say something, but this was supposed to be about Paolo, not teasing gradually increasing barbs with another lord though she certainly had plenty to give. Instead she tried to push the conversation back toward something more familiar for her brother.

“Did that labor strike in Cape Town ever get settled?” She asked Sibiya.

When Anabela leaned over and directed his attention to her neckline, Paolo, who had been already trying not to look, directed his attention there and stared the entire time she was talking. It was only when Giana had shamed her and she stood back up, that he realized what he was doing and averted his gaze. His hands, previously at his side, were now clasped rigidly in front of him. With some quick thinking, he buttoned the bottom button of his suit jacket, ensuring it covered his growing problem. He looked down, up, and at anywhere else except Anabela Chaves of Portugal. When he heard mention of the labor strike, a detail that was included in his Terra brief for the past two weeks, he wished to comment, but his mind wasn't clear.

Noah, who had certainly caught Paolo in the stare forced back a smile. He didn't seem to be laughing at the boy, however, but was perhaps remembering life when he was his age. He looked to Giana, the smile in his eyes, and decided to aide her in changing the subject.

"It did, two days ago, actually. They wanted higher wages, better working conditions, and a list of other things and the business leaders weren't having it. They asked me to get involved and, after a while, I agreed. Police in riot gear made it an interesting show and, in the end, the workers returned to work with what they had in the first place." Noah said, sounding more dismissive than proud. He knew what he was doing wasn't right, but he wasn't worried about the workers in Cape Town.

"Their wages are falling below the standard in Africa." Paolo cut in, the solution Lord Sibiya prescribed distracting him enough to focus his mind on the topic. "16 percent below, actually."

"Highness, I didn't know you kept up with local politics." Noah said, his expression less than joyful. "We don't measure our success in South Africa by the countries around us. We have our own goals; our own history."

"And your own strikes. It's a very rare thing on Terra. Perhaps one a year, if its a bad year." Paolo said. "Don't you think that's something you should look into, my Lord?"

"The problem is solved, your Highness. The strikes are over. Don't tell me the Imperial Court has been rallying its energy behind wage strikes in Cape Town."

Paolo frowned at the Lord, but looked away. He clearly wasn't a fan. Absently, he accidently stole another glance at Anabela.

"What a lovely chat." Paolo said with a forced smile, looking to each of them. "we'd better be on."

At that point, Paolo grabbed Giana by her upper arm, gently of course, and starting moving away from the group at a rapid pace.

To think for a while she had actually considered him as a potential match. Giana sighed internally and then felt Paolo’s hand on her arm. She tensed just slightly at the sensation, but Paolo wasn’t yet strong enough to force Giana to move if she didn’t want to. She gave her goodbyes as politely as she could given the fact Paolo was quite insistent about leaving and followed him away for a few steps. When they were away from people, she pulled from his grasp and instead placed her hand between his shoulder blades. “Come escort me for a little stroll through the gardens, Paolo.”

TBC