It was perhaps obliviousness alone that so saw the vampire nearly disappointed in the wake of his lover's gift - Sebastian entirely caught up within the notion of what this wasn't that focusing upon what it was tended to be particularly difficult for him. Even so, the man was hardly caught up within his own emotions enough to not remain wholly attentive to the King before him, that notion of those consorts whom had never been gifted this crown as tradition so demanded coaxed a sort of curiosity within in, one in which he found himself asking after, even as Dorian's hand reached out for his own with the intention of helping to bring him to his feet. His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at the tales of those whom had never had that sign of favor placed upon their head and yet, even Sebastian was not entirely negligent enough to remain inattentive to exactly whom that very grouping consisted of. The ill and dying, the courtesans, the unloyal, and the murderers. It was almost amusing really, that Dorian hardly wished for the vampire to be amongst those thought so poorly of when that very group so defined the vampire in every facet. He was the very definition of death, his own past in that life after death had it's fair bit of being little more than a whore purely for the money he was offered in exchange for such services, he had been loyal to no singular soul between Isabella and Dorian, though even Isabella had not deemed him wholly loyal, and murderous? As much as it disdained him to accept that title, it was still his to own all the same.

It was that realization that made the vampire feel vastly less deserving of that golden crown upon his head, a small frown momentarily crossing his lips as Dorian led the way down towards that hallway so lined with each of the ruling monarch and, at their side, their female Consort. "Dorian..." He uttered softly, his gaze still drifting from painting to painting as he passed each of those generations. "You know I am not vastly different from those Consorts who were deemed..." He paused, unsure if the word 'unworthy' would truly fit and yet, not terribly wanting to dissatisfy his lover in this, "...unable to wear their crowns. Are you certain of this?" He was hardly certain any longer of what that simple crown entailed, or if it's existence upon his head brought any sort of expectation that he was somehow of a clean spirit. And so, Sebastian found himself inquiring rather than simply assuming. He was attempting, at least, to make an effort. Soon enough, however, the vampire found himself settled at the end of the hallway with a large picture of Dorian himself at his right. That tightening of Dorian's hand within his own drew his gaze from that painting, that idle comment that it was a decent placeholder so causing a small but, nonetheless genuine simper to cross his features before those doors swung open, their titles so announced and, in turn, all of court waiting for their arrival.

Sebastian dropped his lover's hand, trailing after the man as he strode into that altogether full room. His own graze swept but briefly over that crowded hall before he paused before his own chair, turning ever so slightly to simply watch his lover as the King stepped up towards that gilded chair, turning to settle within it. Sebastian himself offered his lover a small bow with the rest of that crowd, acknowledging in that moment that the fae Monarch was of authority even over himself. It was only at that subtle wave that so saw the vampire settle within his own designated chair. Despite the fashion in which he so faced the crowd at large, the vampire still found himself glancing towards the fae King, entirely aware of that shift in the man's demeanor from that usual easy going to something far more stern than he had ever seen his lover, even if he was aware of the man's almost nervous beat to his heart. He offered his lover a warm simper of encouragement, regardless of whether or not Dorian might see it as the monarch so gestured towards his advisor.

It was the announcement of that first envoy that drew Sebastian's attention from his lover, instead settling quite properly within his seat to simply watch that English ambassador as he so approached. His own heart surely leapt at that mention of his home country, the man's love for England certainly well known by his boyfriend and yet, he remained raptly attentive of that message his own beloved Queen wished to convey, even if this was scarcely his own place to speak. There was little doubt he was altogether delighted in his lover's acceptance of that visit to London once again within the upcoming year. The matters that followed soon after, however, hardly interested the vampire quite to that same extent, even if he remained the epitome of that gracious and attentive Victorian gentleman. In fact, it wasn't until two gentleman came forward with a gift that Sebastian found himself paying far more attention, simply eying the two almost critically. It was hardly difficult at all for the Englishman to guess of exactly what the two were referring to at that notion that they were pioneers, his own gaze shifting from the pair only towards that wrapped gift. That first bright hue told the vampire all he needed to know, even as he presented the pair with a warm simper. His own appreciation for that flag was so mirrored in return, even if he'd only but briefly glanced at it's existence upon Benito's offer. After all, he'd seen hundreds of these before, this one in no way unique.

The next few matters of the court had return to but brief matters the vampire had little intrigue within, at least until that very President both men disliked so requested his own portion of the court's time. A small frown crossed his lips at the suggestion that the present hour of court was wholly inconvenient for the elderly, that simple sentence so prompting the vampire to glance towards those velvet cushions. Truly though, he suspected many of those individuals napping lightly had little to do with the time and far more to do with their age. Even so, it was not his decision to make, the vampire remaining wholly silent on the topic as he simply awaited his lover's judgement. He hardly expected, however, the way in which it was but another member of that court that so willingly jumped to his metaphorical rescue, that Spanish gentleman so easily pointing out that very fact that had not escaped his own observations. There was something that wholly unsettled the vampire of this entirely fiasco, however. Though he certainly appreciated the Spaniard's defense, there was a small instinctual part of him that was disgruntled of another vampire within what that creature settled deep within him deemed his territory.

His gaze remained entirely settled upon the foreign vampire, even if he found himself still listening to his lover's quiet muttering with his advisor. That name meant particularly little to Sebastian, that notion of the man preferring his drink perhaps just as irrelevant. Sebastian himself had been known to indulge in that liquor, much less those harder drugs and yet, those substances simply failed to affect their dead bodies quite in the same way it did others. It was only those words pointed quite directly at himself that saw his attention deviate towards his lover, his head bobbing ever so slightly at the idea of having tea with that very gentleman until that notion of time once more became relevant. "I don't see why we could not oblige the President in some way during the winter months, if you so chose." After all, the sun set far earlier and rose far later in those winter months, even within Italy. Weather or not Dorian chose to so placate the man or simply block that show of power entirely was up to the King's discretion, one in which he had no intention of getting in the way of. Part of Sebastian's very nature was to please others and yet, there was a part of the man that was still distinctly aristocratic, equally as determined to so wholly squash those whom attempted such blatant power plays.

Sebastian Ellington