Carlos was bored two seconds into the tour, of course. With a sigh, he leaned his head back, until Val nudged him and he stood straight once more.

Elena giggled, but kindly, and decided in going along with what she'd just told the girls, maybe she should help the boy herself. "So, Carlos, do you like armor and shields? Or maybe something else?", she began up further conversation, motioning to the armor set along the wall as they passed, and as King Roland explained about them.

She sent a small smile over towards Valentina, who smiled at the attempt, but still looked worried and sorry...especially as her cousin remained silent!

"Princess Elena asked you a question!", she nudged him.

Carlos sighed further, but turned to the princess. "Yeah they're fine". Val sent her cousin a hard look!

Elena just smiled again. Baby steps perhaps in getting the kid to open up.

Meanwhile, from where she was beside her twin, Amber watched James as he walked along with the group, but kept his gaze firmly fixed on Carlos up ahead, and could clearly see the workings of a plan in his mind. "James...", she said warningly, "Whatever it is, just drop it, alright? Dad wants to leave a good impression on both Princess Elena and Valentina", she sighed.

James glanced to his sister, seeming confused, which made Amber more suspicious, "And why wouldn't he?", the prince asked innocently.

"James...", she began again.

"Ooh! I know about that set of armor!", James suddenly realized and said, skipping forward to where his father conducted the tour.

"Our great-great-great-grandfather placed that there! After it won a battle!", James cut in, glancing to everyone, but gaze settling on Carlos. At first Roland was worried about where his son was going with this, and just worried he was bragging more, but James went on diplomatically, "What about your ancestors? Anything cool?"; and it sounded more curious than confrontational.

"Well, yeah", Carlos admitted, "on the way back from the chocolate fight", he of course meant the diplomatic-issue between Avalor and Paraíso, arguing over which chocolate was better, but this description made it sound way more interesting to James.

"Chocolate war?", the prince asked, "Did they throw chocolate at another kingdom! Were canons involved!"

Elena, Val and the guards chuckled. "If only it was that interesting!", Val grinned at Elena.

"Oh if we'd had another day of contest maybe", the Avaloran Princess agreed before both laughed again. Thankfully the boys didn't catch or ask about the comments.

Carlos chuckled too, kindly-ish for once, "No, they just disagreed who's was better...anyway my great-great-great-grandfather...", he paused and glanced back to Valentina for confirmation, had that been the right generation?

Val shrugged, "Something like that".

"Anyway", Carlos went on, "his messenger, coming back from Avalor rescued a carriage and that's how the alliance with our closest neighbors got started. The king of course got to take credit".

"Well that's our job, of course", Roland helped the boys' cordial talk along by commenting with a grin. Miranda shook her head and Sofia giggled.

"It was such an odd time", Valentina admitted. Chocolate starting feuds and Carriage Rescues starting alliances. Elena laughed.

Continuing along, everyone accepted this tentative seeming truce between the boys and chatted among themselves more, letting James and Carlos share other anecdotes, though they weren't exactly chatting amiably just yet.

Sofia smiled happily like everything had been solved though!

James briefly debated if what he'd been thinking was needed, if the duke's kid from Paraíso was now behaving, but...maybe he'd keep it as a back up.