Bellamy watched from his bedroom window as the Velorathian riding party streamed into the court yard. It was not an elaborate show, as it would have been if a Gaulian was visiting a far and foreign land. They quickly swung from their steeds and discarded the reigns to the appropriate servants, allowing themselves to be lead into the palace.<br/><br/>He felt the conflicting tug of the thrill of adventure and impending dread.<br/><br/>He'd only met one Velorathian - the ambassador to the crown, first sent nearly a year ago to help smooth the negotiations for the Princess' hand. So it was exciting to have so many of them under his roof. They would have much to tell him of their home and their customs, and Bellamy was impatient to learn.<br/><br/>But he was not impatient to be married. In fact, he could be as patient as needed. He'd wait a decade, a century, a millennia to be married. It was not that the idea of marriage itself were particularly revolting to him, but the things that such an engagement required were. At least with a female participant anyway.<br/><br/>Bellamy shook his head, subsequently dismissing the bleak thoughts and the servant running a brush through his long hair. He stood, still wearing his relaxation clothes, and strolled towards his wardrobe.<br/><br/>"Thank you, ladies, but I believe I can handle it from here."<br/><br/>The small handful of servants hesitated a moment, but they'd been with him since his early teens and knew by now there was no sense arguing with him. With deep curtsies that Bellamy paid no mind to, the women scurried off. Bellamy began riffling through his clothing for something appropriate to wear.<br/><br/>As he searched, he tried to imagine what Lucotecia would look like from the eyes of a new comer. It was probably a jarring transition, coming from the streets of the poor into the palaces of the nobility. While the common folk were known for their hardworking attitudes and their hunger for knowledge, the nobility were usually marked by their laissez-fair out look on life and their frivolous, over the top lifestyle.<br/><br/>The differences were obvious in all aspects of the culture. The architecture in the outer ring of the city was squat and functional, serving a purpose and serving it efficiently. There was no time or need for any extravagance. But the inner ring and the royal palace itself were done in curving lines, ornate decoration, and coated in gold to lend to the aesthetics.<br/><br/>It was certainly a confusing mix, especially to new comers. Because of this, Bellamy dressed in a more subdued outfit, so as not to assault the Princess and her court any further.<br/><br/>He ran a brush through his hair once more, spritzing himself with just the right amount of perfume, and then headed down to the throne room at the beckoning of the servants.<br/><br/>He, of course, arrived first to the throne room, along with his sprawling family. His mother and father sat in the center two thrones, with Bellamy on one side and his brother on the other. Camile sat next to Bellamy, doing her best to maintain perfect posture and a serene expression, just their mother taught her. Bellamy did his best to fight a smirk as he sank into his seat.<br/><br/>He slouched lazily in it, already counting the seconds until this was all over. He propped his elbow up on the arm of the chair and rested his chin in his palm, exhaling dramatically. Bellamy's mother, sat primly beside him, nudged him with her elbow and gave him a pointed look from the corner of her eye. Bellamy was considering complying with that authoritarian expression, but the doors were already being swung open and the Velorathian family was announced at top volume.<br/><br/>The girl, Arabelle, was pretty enough with dark hair and dark eyes to match, if Bellamy could be trusted from this far away. She had sweet, open features schooled carefully into a mask of indifference. Bellamy knew panic when he saw it, however, and he related to the feeling.<br/><br/>Her male companion - her brother, Everett, he'd been told - was something else altogether. Even if Bellamy hadn't had a proclivity towards the male species, he would have had a hard time not finding this male attractive.<br/><br/>Full, plush lips. Large eyes. Tosseled, curly hair. A nice complexion. Strong shoulders. He was hitting every one of Bellamy's buttons and then some.<br/><br/>It looked like the man was about to speak, and Bellamy found himself sitting forward a little, looking a little more attentive.