As the guests rose to their feet, so did Cielo. He had only gotten a glimpse of the bonding bite, his attention focused on Luka whose hands were clenched into fists by his side.
His sister would stay behind with Prince Elio to greet guests but he had no obligation to do that, and he would rather not spend more time sitting next to Luka. Before Prince Alexander could turn to him to question him, Cielo had already slipped into the crowd, his pale hair and slight figure disappearing behind the brightly dressed guests.
He would return for the afterparty but for now, he would stay away, maybe he could go for a quiet walk in the gardens. The guests would be too occupied by the wedding so he might find some privacy there.
With that thought, he changed his trajectory, turning to make his way to the gardens. His decision was so abrupt that he didn't pay attention to an exit up ahead, bumping into someone leaving through the door at the same time that he walked past.
Cielo looked up into cold red eyes, freezing at the familiar face staring down at him with disinterest. "My apologies, My Lord," He snapped himself out of it, hastily stepping back. "I wasn't paying attention." He murmured, going around him.
Luka had been shaken out of his spiraling thoughts by the Vampire that ran into him and then ran off. Watching Alessio bite someone else that wasn't him made him feel like he had been stabbed in the throat, but he was distracted by that momentarily.
Cielo Bianci... The Bianci rarely ever made public appearances, hiding in the shadows like a rabbit. He watched his pale hair trail behind him as he darted around a corner. Without any thought behind it, he went after him.
It wasn't like he was happily occupied to begin with, his own company was acrid, all he would be able to do was replay the bonding bite over and over again. The company of others wouldn't be much better, he would rather not lose his temper and become a nuisance on such an important day, so it was best he avoided people as well.
He had no malicious intentions as he trailed the Bianci, after all, they were a cornerstone of Vampire customs. Even with how influential his father was, even he couldn't get away with harming a Bianci.
He ducked behind a pillar when Cielo peeked over his shoulders, his mannerisms mimicked that of startled prey. He had to wonder where the Vampire was hurrying to while looking so anxious. As the youngest Bianci currently, he was treated exceptionally well by everyone. Even spiteful Vampires couldn't bring themselves to antagonize him.
After a handful of minutes of quietly trailing the jumpy Vampire, Luka slowed down when he realized that Cielo had been going to a secluded section of the sprawling gardens that surrounded the castle just to sit quietly.
He sat on a marble bench with vines growing over the backrest and the arms, giving it the illusion of being grown right next to the flowers around it. An exquisitely carved birdbath was right next to the bench, and as soon as Cielo sat down, colorful birds approached like they had been waiting for his presence all this time.
The colorful birds contrasted with the Vampire's pale hair and hands, a smile on his face as the birds slowly approached after taking a drink. One bird in shades of iridescent red settled on his pale fingers, another getting comfortable enough to fall asleep on his shoulder.
Luka watched him peacefully exist among the birds for far too long before realizing his odd behavior. He quietly dematerialized away, leaving not even a single trace of his presence.
-+-
Alessio was already dozing under the warmth of the sun, his black hair was splayed out, his white clothes reflecting the sunlight. He was pulled out of his blissful nap by a shadow obscuring the sun, making him open an eye to investigate.
His mother's dark face was enough to pull him quickly from the edge of sleep. "Mother," Alessio grimaced, sitting snugly at the crime scene.
"You didn't go to check on Silvan?" Nadia asked with an undertone of scolding.
Alessio rose to his feet, he had been expecting a scolding for something much different. He had been really careful while laying amid the marigolds because he knew how much his mother cherished them, but he couldn't help it that their scent reminded him of her, so he came here often to relax.
"He wanted his privacy, and I gave it to him." Alessio shrugged, wondering if he could convince his mother to let him continue his nap. The warmth of the sun and the marigolds had pierced through the sudden gray clouds that surrounded him, he was no longer as blue.
"Well, check on him anyway." Nadia nudged him forward. "His father is tremendously worried about him."
With his thoughts diverted from Eleanor's death, he was back to being worried about Silvia despite his dismissive words earlier. "Could you have some food sent to his rooms?" Alessio took the initiative, "I don't quite think he has eaten all day."
Nadia smiled as he dematerialized right in front of her, she hadn't told any falsehoods, and it would be beneficial to almost everyone involved if both Princes got along. She crouched to carefully tend to her flowers, her red-tipped fingers gently caressing the bright orange petals.
A few minutes into her task, a figure approached her. Luka's dark red hair was undone, it showed a bit of his fiery nature he tried to put restraints on because that was what Alessio preferred.
"Do you mind some help, Your Highness?" He politely offered.
"Alessio isn't here," Nadia spoke, her tone frosty, a tone she had never used around her son before.
"I can see that," Luka replied dryly, unfazed by the Queen's aversion to him.
"I would like to make a request of you, Lord Luka." Nadia rose to her feet, her perfectly pinned hair now sporting stray wisps that framed her face. "Whenever Silvan and Alessio are in a private space together, your presence is forbidden."