the prince slipped away from the large crowed and found himself upstairs
The queen was lounging on her throne, watching the people. She was dressed to the nines. She was approached by a baron-one of the more annoying of the gentry to be honest-he was older and extremely pompous.
?: "Your highness, forgive me but I feel that it's my duty to inform you of the rumors I've been hearing..."
pft-
?: "Well, there have been rumors that the kingdom is close to destitute. If we were to join our two houses in marriage...I feel the gentry would be reassured that the kingdom is stable once again."
The thing is, this rumor was actually true-and the queen had a feeling her manservant and resident bootlicker-who stood right behind her throne-was the one who had spilled.