Adrian stood up from the dining table, bid his younger brother a good night and made his way up to his room. Curiously enough, the topic about his arranged marriage and Alessandra's angry reaction to it occupied his mind. He truly believed what he had said--that he did not expect to marry for love. How could he? What royal did? His mother and father had been in an arranged marriage too. And while there was a somewhat relaxed camaraderie between the king and the king, he had always questioned the presence of real love between them. 

Ever since he was little, he always knew he'd follow after the footsteps of his father. To be king, to marry whomever his parents deemed appropriate for him...and to rule. The knowledge weighed heavily on his shoulders. 

Adam, on the other hand, was free to marry for love if he chose to. Love was something Adrian never thought of or easily dismissed. Perhaps love between brothers or love between him and his parents. But romantic love? It was a far fetched thought. And one he pushed out of his head immediately.

He pushed open the door to his room and walked in. He relished the silence and peace. He decided that he would read a little bit more after his bath and then turn in early. He made his way towards his bathroom and began removing his clothes. By the time he entered the bathroom, he was mostly naked. He removed his remaining clothing and draped them on a nearby chair. He turned towards the tub and was surprised to see Alessandra still standing there. Normally, the servants left his room right after drawing his bath and seeing her there was unexpected.

[color=00aeef]"You're still here,"[/color] he said, standing un-embarrassedly naked in front of her for a few seconds before stepping into the bathtub and immersing himself in the warm water.