you were the answer to my dreams

The vampire was altogether aware of that small frown that traced his lover's features at that condition he so placed before him and yet, in this very fact he was entirely persistent. Sebastian did his best, as a whole, to minimize the damage his need for blood so inflicted upon the world at large, even if he had failed in such efforts more times then he cared to count. This life that his lover so provided him, regardless of how it was achieved, too needed to meet that impossibly high standard the vampire so set for himself. He cared little for what the rest of his kind thought of his feeding techniques, much less the way his own maker despised him for denying what he was. It was perhaps his own fault, one of those chinks in his icicle armor. Though he provided the world at large with a carefree face of indifference, beneath that facade there was still a heart as warm as ever despite the way it often failed to beat. He had always been more of a lover of life then the harbinger he was cast into. Still, he watched with silent intensity as the monarch so considered those emotions that he'd unknowingly dragged to the surface of the king's heart. In fact, Sebastian was entirely oblivious that such a comment could somehow produce an even greater love within his companion. Rather, he merely suspected the King was so contemplating the feasibility of his request and yet, in this alone Sebastian was prepared to remain unwavering.

There was an undeniable sense of relief that filled him as his lover's head merely nodded not long after, that promise uttered upon Dorian's lips nearly immediately caused a small simper to cross his own features. "Thank you." He spoke softly, his words distinctly genuine. Any tenseness his frame so felt in those moment's prior nearly dissipated immediately and, in turn, Sebastian was content to merely allow the conversation to turn to a topic that was altogether unexpected. That fourth slice he'd so carved from the pear was so unceremoniously plucked from his fingers, his mouth parting ever so slightly in a glimpse of shock that Dorian might so steal from him and yet, that look passed easily enough into one of mock unamusement. "That's payback for the cake. Now we're even." He commented with a hint of teasing somewhere in the depths of his tone. After all, he could hardly complain terribly of his lover's theft when Sebastian had so taken from the man nearly the entirety of that chocolate lava cake nearly a month prior. The vampire instead settled on carving another piece for his lover, so offering him another one after the last was so greedily inhaled.

Rather, it was the simple mention of a childhood friend that so saw the vampire's attention deviate from that pear, a glimpse of noteable amusement so mixed with surprise upon his features as he inquired after the man's name, only to inform his lover of his companion's illustrious fame within that art world Dorian so loved. That sound that so left his companion's lips caused a warm chuckle to leave his own, and though it was hardly gentlemanly to have such self-pride, Sebastian found a great amusement within his boyfriend's disbelief. His head bobbed, "It is true!" Sebastian insisted, that warm simper ever present upon his features despite the shock he was faced with. Even so, Sebastian could hardly allow his companion to think as he had the previous some hundred years of his life, that his once friend's existence had pittled out into nothing and he had been the sole cause of it. Rather, the vampire was quite quick to pull from what little knowledge he had of the artist, insisting not only that it was unlikely to be entirely Dorian's fault but also to reassure the man of the speculations the world had upon the man's rather shielded love life.

He fell silent, however, as his lover agreed, at least in some part, that the fault was entirely his own, instead commenting upon his Father and the role he'd played in the artist's departure from Italy. It was that mention, however, of those expectations society had so placed upon them in their youth that so entirely hit home for the vampire. "My father arranged my betrothal to my best friend's sister once. To make our friendship more 'appropriate'." He commented idly, so returning that glimpse within Dorian's past with a small one of his own. This was, perhaps, a facet of life he understood particularly well. And perhaps, in the same way that the monarch's father had so destroyed his friendship, Sebastian's own ran into trials and tribulations as a result. How history could so mirror itself, in a way, despite the years that so spanned between their life times. Still, he hardly dwelled upon that past he so shared with Wiliam, considering that their once destroyed relationship was well enough on the mend. Instead, the vampire allowed that conversation to shift, so informing Dorian exactly of whom this Mona Lisa was he had so asked after originally.

Sebastian's head bobbed once again in confirmation of the line that existed simply to view the artwork made by Dorian's once close companion. He was glad to see a hint of that simper so return to his lover's features, the vampire all too content to take Dorian up on that desire to so see such art work. "I don't see any reason why we should not be able to visit there one day." He commented with a small shrug, so handing his lover that final slice of pear before tossing the core of the fruit upon the ground near the closest tree, all too aware that it would quickly enough to taken by the earth for the nutrients it was capable of providing. An audible snort left Sebastian's nose at this newest memory Dorian so saw to share. Of course he too would have known Michelangelo, how would he not? He could hardly help the roll of his eyes and yet, even this was in good nature. "Michelangelo went on to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. It is....magnifique. They say he was perhaps Leonardo's only rival, though I was always more partial of Michelangelo myself. He at least painted eyebrows." The last part was added as an after though, a small simper crossing his features as glanced back towards his lover.

It was, however, Dorian's inquiry as to why he had sought out the Orangery that so caused the vampire's attention to deviate from that art world he knew his companion would take interest in. Instead, the vampire's gaze shifted down the length of the Orangery. "No, it's not that." He commented, shaking his head ever so slightly. "The past few years, we've designed the Orangery to showcase the greenery that is more sensitive to time, beyond the fruit we are so known for. On that end, there are flowers that bloom only in the evening, when there is not the heat of the sun." He pointed towards the end closest to them before his gaze turned towards the opposite end of the greenhouse. "That end, however, has flowers that only bloom within a few hours of sunrise. I thought they might be nice to see." After all, may of those strains Sebastian himself had only set eyes on in picture alone, it was a silly thing, surely, and entirely insignificant and yet, in all of Belton it was perhaps the one part of his estate that even he had not seen.

Sebastian Ellington