Raphios's elder brother, Thurannis, was a competent heir apparent. A keen debater and amateur natural philosopher, Thurannis found himself well liked amongst his peers - a fact that Raphios could not abide. Envious of his brother's modest successes, and encouraged by his wife who sought a higher status, Raphios set about ensuring that he would be named Prince when their mother passed on the title. It was already late in the year when Raphios brought his plans against his brother to bear: framing Thurannis for his own embezzling. All it took was a document in the right place, forged immaculately, to make the accusations stick. It took less than a month for the elder Kastellon to be ousted from consideration. In all honesty, Raphios was rather pleased with himself.
With the line of succession now in question, Raphios was quick to seize the opportunity before him, placing himself as the frontrunner. It did not take long before he was selected for the position, a decision that naturally brought him incredible joy. To celebrate his newfound success, Raphios decided that this was most certainly cause for a party. Missives sent across Aloreh brought guests of high esteem to Kastellon's chateau for a weekend of frivolity in celebration of the newly appointed Prince. Those in attendance described the scenes as "debauchery unmatched" and "hedonism personified" - though few complained in the moment, as wine flowed and food was plentiful.
Few, however, would view the party in the same light as Raphios. What began as an enjoyable if rowdy evening quickly soured in the heat of passion. It was on that first night that he made the acquaintance of Aleni Panarand - though they would leave the night as far more than acquaintances. Under darkness they found refuge in a spare bedroom, and out of sight of Raphios's wife, the two engaged in frivolities of a different kind.
To say that Raphios felt no remorse for his infidelity would be unfair. True, he concealed it; ironically, the admission may have been met with tacit approval from his wife, as the Panarand family was well-connected and she was known to be coldly ambitious. For fear of scandal or shame, Raphios went about his life in the same way he always had, albeit with new courtly duties in hand. But he carried with him a heightened sense of unease, which crept its way out of the guilt over the affair and into the other sordid acts he had committed in life. A great pit had formed in his stomach, one that threatened to swallow him whole. He met Aleni thrice more, and each time that pit seemed to double in size. And still, his wife knew nothing of the affair, nothing of Raphios's extra-marital arrangements.
Perhaps he found relief when his secret was finally exposed. In comparison to the secrets of other Orator Princes, his seemed rather trivial. But a secret exposed is a secret doubled, and public opinion turned on the once up and coming gentleman. His wife left him just as quickly. And as his brother had been ousted by him, Raphios too found himself on the receiving end of dismissal - an even greater scandal, as Raphios had already been crowned. He was certain it was Thurannis that had found him out, though how remained a mystery and Raphios never once asked. A week after his removal from the court, the two sought one another in a quiet Methes Avonthes club they had both once frequented, embracing as they met. Together in the capital, they raised their glasses to the Kastellons, the game, and to Aloreh.
