Istalia

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Announced the engagement of Grand Prince Tommaso to Melissa Piacentini

The wedding will be held on April 4 at the Basilica of All Angels: heads of state and delegations from all over the world invited

21 February 4640

ROMULA – It's official: the Grand Prince of the Crown Tommaso, 34, will marry Melissa Piacentini, 24, a student in Cultural Heritage and model originally from Saracco sul Merevino, in the heart of the Trivendito. The announcement was made yesterday by the Imperial House, which also confirmed the wedding date: April 4, with a solemn ceremony at the Basilica of All the Angels, a traditional place of worship linked to Istalian state ceremonies.

The news is destined to shake up both the civil society and the little but growing aristocracy, a cathegory that since the foundation of the Imperial State has began to be reformed by the Crown.
For years Prince Tommaso has been considered the golden bachelor of Istalia, a figure as fascinating as he was elusive, torn between military duty, serving with honor in the Imperial Navy on two frigates and later on one of the new Folgore-class destroyers, and a turbulent love life, often the subject of gossip columns.

His brief but intense relationships, never made official, have fueled the public's fantasies and the pens of tabloid journalists for years, but those who knew him well knew that behind that cover-worthy smile and the fame of a seducer hid a heart waiting for someone capable of truly striking him.

That "someone" arrived two years ago, in one of the most unexpected ways: a wild evening in the Capital, during a leave of absence of the Prince and a vacation of Melissa Piacentini with friends. From a night that seemed destined to dissolve like so many others, an unexpected understanding was born instead. The Prince, sources close to the Crown say, transformed that fleeting adventure into a four-day guided tour of the museums, works of art and flavours of the Capital, winning the heart of the young Melissa and perhaps leaving his own.

The relationship, which remained out of the spotlight for a long time, was kept discreet for two years. Only six months ago, the press's suspicions became insistent, and last September the Imperial House officially confirmed the bond. Since then, the two have appeared together on rare but significant public occasions, showing an authentic and sober complicity, which has contributed to increasing the population's sympathy towards the future Gran Princess of the Crown.

According to reports the Imperial House has already started sending out invitations for the ceremony on 4 April, addressing them to friendly nations and major heads of state, in what promises to be one of the most important social and diplomatic events of the year.

With this announcement Istalia prepares to welcome a new figure into the heart of its most illustrious family and if novels teach us anything, it's that even in the most ancient monarchies true nobility is that of feelings.