every king had a story, of ancient glory,sweetly told

How near enchanting it was to see that collection of photographs and memorabilia that Matteo so deemed important enough to preserve. How decidedly unique, in turn, to so be afforded even this mere glimpse into the life of that near ancient Frenchman. H had met so many people, seen so many things and been to so very many places and yet, more often than not, those photos seemed to portray his Father on some field of combat with Alexander beside him. Was this truly how Matteo had spent so much of his life? As a soldier? How such an image so contrasted with that neat, will dressed often bemusing man Dorian had known for so long! Yet, those very photographs perhaps afforded the Monarch answer to several of those questions he had never yet seen fit to ask of his Father. After all, there have been periods of months, even over a year, in which the elder Fae had ceased to visit him within that palace that had once been a prison. Was this where he had been? On some sort of military deployment? Dorian assured he had never once seen Matteo even so much as display a bruise and yet, he supposed, those gaps of time between his visits might well have afforded any injury ample time to heal and so further conceal such a past. Yet just why he might so wish to keep it from him he held little idea, that very query falling softly from his lips as that photograph was tilted for Sebastian to view in turn. Dorian finding he could hardly disagree with the vampire's soft utterance that Matteo hardly seemed the type to enjoy war. In all the years he had known the other Fae he had never so much seen the man raise his voice to another let alone raise a weapon. That very notion that, perhaps, it was Matteo's understanding of his own disdain for that violence and bloodshed that prevented the man offering those tales momentarily saw the Monarch pause further in consideration of the idea.

"That may well be it. Wars and battles are not to my liking. I do not like to think of the thousands who die in them- or because of them. It is fortunate we do not fight wars as we used to him my time. I would be an abysmal Commander."

That simper tugged gently at his lip all the same, Dorian content to find a tendril of amusement in the notion that, once, it was the very role of the King to be present in battle. The Fae assured he would be nothing but a hindrance on the field. In all his life he had killed exactly two people, both, surely, out of necessity and to spare his own life and yet still how they might haunt him! Dorian quick to dismiss such thoughts lest they take hold and spoil his evening entirely. The sudden sight of that portrait readily seeing a shift within his thoughts once more. How young his mother had once looked! H could hardly help the fashion in which his fingers reached for that golden frame to run gingerly along its fine edge, his silver hued gaze lingering upon that portrait, that very love within it so abundantly clear. Yet, had even Sebastian not said they had once been soul mates? This perhaps the first true.....proof of that relationship the Monarch had ever truly seen. That picture nothing short of scandalous and yet how beautiful it was all at once. Dorian leaning gently into Sebastian's embrace then. The Fae King assured that within his lovers arms by far the most glorious place to be even as the vampire so assured him he loved him more than Matteo ever had loved his Mother. That soft chuckle rising from his lips then, his own teasing lyrics offered in turn. Dorian entirely content to leave his fiancé wondering as to just where they might be going this very evening. The man commenting idly then;

"I suppose we must."

After all, Sebastian so often surprised him with those evenings out or those small gifts of chocolate truffles or new books or other small tokens off affection. Dorian assured it was entirely his turn to afford his lover that same surprise. That suggestion of photographing that portrait if only so that they might make their own however was an idea readily seized upon, Dorian fishing that phone from his pocket to take several pictures of that image. The man no sooner having returned his phone to his pocket then Hugo's subtle and yet deliberate throat-clearing saw the pair turn. How terrible it was off him to near chuckle at the poor fellow! Yet the man was positively amusing even if he hardly knew it. Dorian assured he had hardly known any servant, outside of a truly formal setting to be so particular about his duties. Still, he supposed, the man could hardly be faulted for his work or the way that household ran so flawlessly. Dorian falling into step behind him, allowing himself to be led from that room with his hand fitted in Sebastian's own only to pause but once more to point to that photograph that sat pride of place upon another shelf. That very image depicting the both of them grinning readily for that camera. How very....pleasing it was that Matteo had so chosen an image of them both to rest within his room. This, perhaps, the most blatant show of the Frenchman's acceptance of Sebastian to date.

It was only once they were settled within that car that the Monarch finally allowed some trace of that amusement in Hugo as a being to part his lips, Dorian assured the mans very face might fall apart were he to smile. The man near convinced the fellow had gone upstairs to inform Matteo of their explorations. Sebastian's soft chuckle drawing that grin to his lips all the same. That Matteo surely did already know of their intention to visit that room was a highly likely thing. Dorian momentarily given to consider whether several of those photographs had been placed in clear view so that they might deliberately see them. What a perfectly baffling man Matteo was! His own head shook softly as if to dismiss the thought, several loose strands of hair catching within the length of his eye lashes as he moved to brush it away near nonchalantly. Dorian leant comfortably back against that plush leather seat then before inquiring after those chateaus he knew well had been upon Sebastian's mind. Dorian so having come to find the vampire near inability to abandon inanimate objects of beauty decidedly endearing. So long at his lover's side readily having provided the ever-observational Fae with the realisation that Sebastian possessed a rather obvious 'thinking' look. To guess at just what had occupied his thoughts hardly difficult given his Consorts excitement over those properties the day before.

That query as to whether or not he remembered that chateau with the moat was met with a nod. Moat's after all, were not terribly common fixtures, Dorian readily content to picture that terribly run-down property once more. His features frowning in that further contemplation at that assertion that home had, to an extent, been broken up in a fashion and sold on to others over the years providing a veritable crowd of people that would need be bought out in an effort to secure the Chateau as a whole and with the intention of seeing to its repair. Dorian wholly oblivious to his lovers near tentativeness to suggest the use of the influence of that crown to achieve such a goal. The very crown Sebastian himself was but one ceremony away from veritably wearing in turn. Dorian's shoulders lifting upward in a gentle shrug a mere moment later, that smile finding his features then.

"I don't see any reason why you should not be able to obtain each of those grounds back. We have more than enough funding for such an endeavour and once we discover who owns that lands in question I am assured they can be swayed. I like this country very much, I would think it lovely to have a home here."

That warmth simper lingered upon his features still, Dorian so hardly opposed to that idea in turn. Indeed, the Fae was entirely willing to assure they secured those very lands Sebastian desired. If Italy itself was not enough sway then Matteo himself would surely be off assistance. After all, was he not Frances's very ambassador? His silvery gaze shifted briefly from his lover then and back to the window, that approaching town readily seeing his attention return to his fiancé with that request he close his eyes. It was, surely, a largely futile effort given the vampires sense of smell sure to give away that treat before they had even entered that shop and yet still- to surprise a vampire was a decidedly difficult task in any sense. He had hardly anticipated the fashion in which Sebastian's gaze fluttered near reluctantly closed- only for the vampire head t rest upon his shoulder, that soft hum of amusement rising from within him as his fingers reached to neaten a few strands off his Consorts hair. Such a simple gesture so laced with that equally simple and yet no less evident affection. How much he relished such simple moments at these.

It was a mere few minutes later in which that car pulled up outside that destination, the lateness of the hour assuring those streets were far less crowded then during the day, that store opened for them alone as he reminded Sebastian to keep his eyes closed and too- to mind his head as they stepped from that car. His hand remained firmly fitted in his companions own, Dorian leading the way carefully those few steps to that store, the door pushed open softly, that little bell chiming before closing behind them. Those staff hurrying to close and lock it while drawing those blinds in turn to assure that privacy Dorian had insisted upon. After all, they hardly needed all of France descending upon that poor shop, his gaze glancing briefly to Sebastian to make sure his eyes were still closed.

"Do you know, Mon Cher, if there may be anything good to come of our fame it is surely that it means we are allowed to have such places as this to ourselves to enjoy alone? And, of course, that you do not have to share any of these treats or politely eat only one. You can look now."

That bright grin had already found its way to his own features, one hand lifting to gesture to that store that surrounded them. This store owned and run by far the most popular and awarded chocolatier in all of France, that store decorated from war to ceiling in all manner of hand-crafted chocolates and fudge and desserts in near every flavour and shape imaginable. A handful of staff dressed neatly in their whitened uniforms situated behind each of those counters to assist them in trying anything they might desire, several of them bowing politely the moment Dorian's gaze passed over them. That heavenly sweet smell of chocolate filling the air from that running chocolate fountain in the very centre of the room. Dorian reaching them to that table beside the door to pick up that largest size of paper gift bag only to hand it to his lover then. This, he knew, sure to be something his lover truly enjoyed. Dorian so delighting in bringing that grin to the vampires features in turn.

"They tell me you are allowed to fill one of these which as much as you might like of anything you might like. Do you think you might enjoy doing that?"

That almost impish look so teased at his lips then. Dorian readily assured he might know the answer to that already.

dorian aragona