In his conscious state, the king saw himself as ...<em>the king</em>.  He was a stud with a beautiful young wife whom he was able to satisfy as no man could.  He was the only man capable of ruling Miragliano the way it deserved to be ruled.  While there were a few nobles who had their own political agendas (like every other kingdom in the world) those loyal to him would keep them in line.<br/><br/>It was the subconscious that saw certain truths the conscious mind refused to see.  He was getting old.  He needed medical assistance to do things occasionally (and once per night at best) that in his younger days he could have done twice (sometimes thrice) every night without anyones help save the woman sharing his bed.  The subconscious also recognized Manfred as the threat he was -- both to his marriage and his kingdom.  The king's body might lie still as it slept, but his mind was tossing and turning and agonizing over what was happening.<br/><br/>He might appear to be having a long and restful sleep, but the longer the King slept the more depressed he would be on waking.  And he wouldn't understand the source of his depression.<br/><br/><br/>------<br/><br/><br/>Gilberto was no king, not yet, but he did his best to play the good and gracious host to the assembled crowd from both regions.  Symbolically, he was the product of a union between Miragliano and the Reikmarches ... although culturally he had grown up 99% Miraglianese.  Tonight would mark a very public change to that practice.  In reality, though, it had begun the moment he first laid eyes on his father's new bride.<br/><br/>As the young prince "worked the room" he had so many questions to ask of his visitors about the land of his mother's birth.<em>Is it true that ..?  What is the word for ...? What is it like to ...?</em>Why would anyone from the Reikmarches consider Miragliano an enemy when its future king was one of them?<br/><br/>While he was deeply and truly in love with his stepmother, he was still a young man whose body was subject to the same forces as most other young men, and every pretty girl in the room caught his eye at least once.  Each time one did, he felt a pang of guilt.  Katelyn would be his queen, and he would suppress any desire he might have for another until the time came for he and Katelyn to marry.<br/>