ļ¹Ā announcing his royal highness, Ā ( teodore vincenzo di savoia ), Ā the Ā ( 20 ) Ā year old Ā ( prince ) Ā of Ā ( italy ). Ā he is often confused with Ā ( lorenzo zurzolo ). Ā some say that he is Ā ( aggressive + headstrong ), Ā but he is actually Ā ( loyal + resourceful ).
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i am so so excited to bring my boy back!!!Ā under the cut is a not reallyĀ brief summary, and more information can be found in the links above!
trigger warnings:Ā smoking, drinking, death, shooting
Being royalty comes with both benefits and responsibilities, and while the former was certainly the case for Teo, the latter was not ļ¹ the fifth child and fourth son of the Italian king, his path to the throne was faint at best, and that was just the way he liked it.
Teo grew up surrounded by luxury and knowing that his family was important. Instead of giving him a sense of responsibility, however, the situation fueled his sense of self-importance and invincibility, the belief that he could do anything he wanted and get away with it. This was a belief that would prove to be mostly true throughout his life.
What was the point of doing what was expected? He had four older siblings to do that Ā ā Ā and besides, all the rules & expectations were boring. He preferred interesting, exciting things, things that actually caught his attention and triggered a rush of adrenaline. His teen years were the epitome of this perspective, filled with sneaking away from his bodyguards, ignoring lessons Ā (or simply not attending them), Ā smoking, and other similar activities. He wasnāt self-destructive or fighting against the system, just bored and constantly searching for adventure. And it wasnāt like he would face consequences or anything ļ¹ he was a prince, after all.
Perhaps there were some consequences, however, to his relationship with his family. His siblings had varying levels of approval and attempted guidance, but he knew that their bond would not be broken by anything less than death. To say that his parents disapproved of his behavior, however, was putting it very mildly. When he was younger, they attempted to discipline it out of him Ā ā Ā a tactic which was very unsuccessful, his recklessness only growing as he got older.
He stayed out of the public eye while growing up, both because he didnāt care for the pressure it brought and because he enjoyed anonymity ļ¹ it was much easier to go to spend afternoons hanging around the piazza with friends if you werenāt recognized. His parents approved of this, at least, preferring not to hold weekly press conferences to explain what shenanigans their son had gotten into this time. Their familyās wealth was useful in more dramatic situations, easily smoothing over any details which were leaked.
Perhaps the only time he was in agreement with his father was when it came to fencing. It was a bit of a fight to get him to actually start the sport, to be sure, but the king thought the discipline and strict guidelines would help his son mature and insisted. Turns out he wasnāt entirely wrong ļ¹ it did provide Teo an outlet for some of his pent-up energy, and gave him a less reckless pastime, but also made his rebellion more precise.
Despite how chaotic his teenage years were, they were happy Ā ā Ā then his father died, and life turned on its head. Although their relationship wasnāt great, Teo had seen the king as a constant pillar in his life and losing that foundational influence was difficult for him to work through. Figuring out his emotional state wasnāt made any easier by his continued presence at home ļ¹ his older siblings were all away at school, but he spent another year rattling around the palace and trying to ignore any and all consequences of his increasingly reckless behavior.
University was a chance to start afresh. The new environment was exactly what he needed to feel like himself again, and the new fencing team which he joined caused both his skills and mood to improve. He hasnāt become any more responsible Ā (almost the opposite, really), Ā nor has his method of working though his grief been particularly healthy, but his search for the next rush is driven by a desire for experiences rather than anything negative.
Things seemed to be finally back to normal, until Ale was shot at the masquerade ball. All other obligations were shoved to the side as he rushed to the hospital, tension only relaxing when his brother woke up. The entire experience brought him closer to siblings, the grief from their fatherās passing softened enough to allow them to regain a version of their childhood camaraderie, one which he has no desire to loose again.
After the earthquake in Argentina, his mother demanded that Teo return to Italy, and thenĀ (despite his many protests that it was barely an injury at all)Ā spend some time at home recovering. This period was not spent idling around, however, and his intense focus on fencing for a few months meant heĀ qualified for the Olympics. He represented Italy in theĀ menās Team Sabre events, and although he was not a finalist, his team won silver. Going up to the podium and receiving the medal has become one of his proudest moments.
The bombing in Belgium happened mere days before the Olympics started, and was the only reason he did not immediately rush to Brussels out of concern for his best friend.Ā He and Lola stayed in contact throughout the tournament, and as soon as the team returned home, he left to visit her. They spent the rest of the summer in Italy, separated for their respective countriesā All Saints Day celebrations, and are now returning to the program together.