Entering the throne room, Orion instantly saw Bernard shoot him a warning glance, as if to imply,<i>Mind your tongue. </i>The closer he got to his parents, the better he was able to witness their differing facial expressions. Mother reminded him of a super-duper combination pizza. So many toppings equalled so many emotions. And Father? Too easy. Anger. Disappointment. More anger. Oh, and guess what? Even more anger.<br/><br/>"What part of<i>immediately </i>do you not understand, Orion?!" Father barked. "Did Bernard not say to come see us immediately?" A glance toward his valet and surprise, surprise. Bernard must have just discovered an interesting spot on the floor to stare at. Smirking (and not trying to hide it, either), the prince replied, "Of course he did! Bernard is nothing, if not extremely thorough." He nodded and winked at Bernard, who looked up in time to catch both gestures. A slight smile creased his lips.<br/><br/>Orion attempted an innocent shrug. "I got here as soon as I could," he said. Just as Father was about to erupt, Mother lightly placed her right hand on Father's left arm. Orion was close enough to the pair to hear Father's intake of breath. "Darling, come here, please," Mother implored. Now standing before her, she asked, "Why are you currently behaving like you are?" It pained him to see Mother near tears. Nevertheless, he stared into her eyes, then casually looked away. "Not sure what you are referring to, Mother," he said.<br/><br/>Mother glanced downward and to the left, as a lone tear took its sweet time trickling down her cheek. Orion never saw this tear, as she had strategically shielded it from him. He did, however, observe how Father now placed a comforting hand on hers. Already feeling like an asshole, he turned toward Bernard. His expression didn't exactly help matters, as there was a clear sign of sadness in those eyes that he knew so well, for so long.