Palaces are highly ornate residential buildings for a head of state or equally high-ranking political figure (such as a religious figure). As their function is more political than military, palaces are typically not as fortified as castles (though this may not be the case for your own fictional world). Palaces may contain throne rooms, dungeons, great halls, and other similar elements as castles. They may be home to visiting ambassadors, spies, assassins, and members of the royalty.