#imperialstart

      While he believed that no view could ever hold a torch to that of his beloved Florence, Niccolò had found a quiet moment to step away from his accounts to admire Paris away from the madness. Sapphire-like eyes wandered the view until his silence was interrupted by the sound of impending footsteps, bringing his attention to draw away from his surroundings and turned to the newcomer instead. ❝ I see I am not the only one to discover this hidden gem, at a time such as this it seems near impossible to find a moment to yourself. ❞

ansel swirled the wine within his glass as he stood close to the outer skirts of the castle’s walls, his eyes flickering between the gardens and the royals as well as nobility that littered the greenery. “i didn’t think paris was this beautiful.” he mused as he sipped his wine, “were they hoping to sway us with that beauty?”

      A moment to compose herself, that was all Dorothea had wanted. From the moment she had arrived in Paris from the Vatican she had been watched carefully by the guards sent to retrieve her, even once inside the safety of the castle walls she had not been able to be rid of them, but there was a moment where one of them faltered. Thea had found another door which led out of her chambers and used it to be free of her guards for a little while. The Princess was walking at a quick pace in the hopes of getting some distance before they noticed she was gone, glancing behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed just before she felt herself bump into another. ❝ Oh! I am so sorry, pray you forgive me, that was very careless on my part. ❞

     Though the journey from ‘s-Gravenhage to Paris was of reasonable length, Frederik had taken his sweet time. He had taken many stops and though most people were honoured to be visited by their prince, he did not do it for them. Although his interests lay with things as partying, he did not rush to make it in time for the ball. He guessed there would be more and he tended to enjoy the less formal parties over the forced formalities and awkward dances. So there he was –– a glass of wine in hand, making his way through the drawing room after dinner. “Before you start, no, I am not tired from my journey, nor did I have a proper reason to not attend the ball. If those were the only pleasantries you were interested in, I’d rather not waste my time.”

uneasiness settled in her bones like an unwanted intruder, shedding ice into the once hopeful behavior cecilia had sported. she’d been close to one of the verandas, sipping wine and conversing with her betrothed when the word spread like the plague. the queen of france was missing, her escort dead. she searched frantically then - for her brother or her guard but found none. all resources were poured into the french queen’s retrieval. “how could this happen?” she felt the words escape her mouth, the tension shattering her usually satin soft tone.

genevieve often sauntered across the halls, her ladies in tow, as they tended to the guests of the castle. her lips were curled into a soft smile as she crossed one of the familiar faces, “it is a lovely day today, don’t you think?” she offered as her eyes swept across the hall, “the weather prompts a small recess. walk with me?”