"This red steak is fabulous," Duke Prospero commented after he had swallowed his third bite. He motioned to one of those serving the guests and said, "My compliments to the chef."
"I wonder if they used a barbecue," Plinio said to his father, smirking a bit. He was referencing the fact that Prospero was one of the few Potenzan noblemen who did his own cooking on occasion. Although the Cornaro family had staff that kept their estate clean and helped prepare the meals for special events, when it was just Cornaro family time, Prospero often obliged to do the cooking himself. He had actually grown to like it, and over time had been able to mimic the recipes of some finer restaurants. On lazier days he broke out the barbecue grill and prepared the Cornaro household some burgers, ribs, or something else special.
"Maybe they do," Prospero replied, smirking back at his son, "the only question now is coal or propane."
"Coal, right?" Plinio asked, knowing full well his father preferred coal above all else.
"Well, I'm not certain..." Prospero sliced another bit of the steak and put it into his mouth, chewing on it for a bit longer than normal, letting the taste linger on his tongue before swallowing and saying, "I think it's a hibachi grill they're using."
"The Talemantine look lovely, don't they?" the Duchess Lia suddenly interrupted, glancing over at the Talemantine royals. "Sometimes it's strange to remember we all have the same ancestry."
"They've had many years of royalty and empire, it's gotten to them," Prospero said, smirking as he cut his steak up into further bits, "Potenzan royalty spent too much time fighting one another and getting rich. They were either cutthroats or merchants - sometimes both. Our history is not as glorified as theirs. They probably look at us the way the Torriani look at commoners. OWE!" Prospero had given a sharp cry in response to the feeling of his wife's nails digging into the thigh area of his pants under the dinner table.
"The Torriani are here, darling," Lia said through her lips, "try to remain subtle when there are others around you."
"I'll do as I like, I am the duke, young lady," Prospero remarked, pinching his wife's nose again, "now behave, or I won't dance with you."
"I wonder if they used a barbecue," Plinio said to his father, smirking a bit. He was referencing the fact that Prospero was one of the few Potenzan noblemen who did his own cooking on occasion. Although the Cornaro family had staff that kept their estate clean and helped prepare the meals for special events, when it was just Cornaro family time, Prospero often obliged to do the cooking himself. He had actually grown to like it, and over time had been able to mimic the recipes of some finer restaurants. On lazier days he broke out the barbecue grill and prepared the Cornaro household some burgers, ribs, or something else special.
"Maybe they do," Prospero replied, smirking back at his son, "the only question now is coal or propane."
"Coal, right?" Plinio asked, knowing full well his father preferred coal above all else.
"Well, I'm not certain..." Prospero sliced another bit of the steak and put it into his mouth, chewing on it for a bit longer than normal, letting the taste linger on his tongue before swallowing and saying, "I think it's a hibachi grill they're using."
"The Talemantine look lovely, don't they?" the Duchess Lia suddenly interrupted, glancing over at the Talemantine royals. "Sometimes it's strange to remember we all have the same ancestry."
"They've had many years of royalty and empire, it's gotten to them," Prospero said, smirking as he cut his steak up into further bits, "Potenzan royalty spent too much time fighting one another and getting rich. They were either cutthroats or merchants - sometimes both. Our history is not as glorified as theirs. They probably look at us the way the Torriani look at commoners. OWE!" Prospero had given a sharp cry in response to the feeling of his wife's nails digging into the thigh area of his pants under the dinner table.
"The Torriani are here, darling," Lia said through her lips, "try to remain subtle when there are others around you."
"I'll do as I like, I am the duke, young lady," Prospero remarked, pinching his wife's nose again, "now behave, or I won't dance with you."