you were the answer to my dreams

There was a sort of peaceful tranquility to be found in that moment, even as Sebastian made every effort to re gather his composure, his face buried in his lover's clothing. The simple scent of the fae King had a fashion of calming that torrential outpour of emotion, the vampire hardly oblivious in the slightest to the sheer depth of what Dorian had just offered him. It was monumental, that decision to keep both of their family's legacy in place by merely adding his own surnames to that of the royal household. Although they would surely never persist into history beyond them, that simple decision to figuratively include and be apart of his own family had a profound effect upon the vampire. His chest was filled with a sort of fluttering sensation, a warmth that certainly caused a sort of glassiness to those blue eyes, even as he strove to blink away those tears that threatened to spill. He was thankful, truly, that Dorian hardly commented on that display of vulnerability from the vampire, the man instead freely accepting that small show of affectionate reassurance in that small tight squeeze of his hand. He knew well Dorian knew and yet, he doubted the Monarch was aware of what his own expectations had been.

Those blue eyes slowly shifted towards that small puppy in the corner, the sound of chewed, torn leather easily captured his attention. He could hardly help the near tinge of guilt he felt over that torn shoe, the pair surely a favorite of Charles and yet, Sebastian was assured he had the ability to procure another pair. Truly, the man was in need of new shoes by this point anyways. He could hardly help that warm simper that settled upon his features at the suggestion of the dog being afforded that stately name. Maxwell Ellington-Cust-Brownlow-Aragona. It certainly was a mouthful and yet, surely their fur-child of sorts should be afforded the same full name that would soon be theirs? Still, with the prospect of a new name, he found himself considering that small tag that dangled from Maxwell's neck, proudly announcing the little Rottweiler's name. Surely, there was hardly a tag large enough for those initials. In fact, he was rather certain such a name would need the entirety of that collar around the puppy's neck to be fully displayed, even if Maxwell would quickly grow out of it.

He hardly expected the fae Monarch to take up the challenge of finding tags for Maxwell's proper name so readily, the vampire entirely unable to help the snort that left his nose at Dorian's near eagerness. It was that utterance of his name in the aftermath of that silence that prompted a small sound of acknowledgment from the man, that inquiry that followed was near out of place in the wake of that conversation of last names. Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at that mention of that French city and yet, he was but vaguely aware of its existence all the same. Though Sebastian was rather certain that he'd never visited the city himself, he was almost sure, at least, of the sheer size of its population, the vampire almost doubted himself as he inquired if such was truly the city Dorian was speaking of. His curiosity on why the Monarch was mentioning such a city in the first place was certainly piqued, after all, as far as he was aware, his fiance hadn't taken up any books recently that pertained to the city. That prospect of their honeymoon was perhaps the only immediate idea that came to mind and yet, even so, it seemed a rather peculiar choice for such a particularly romantic and memorable week in the aftermath of that marriage.

Those facts in which the King so readily imparted upon him were met with raised brows, the vampire providing his lover with a soft sound of subdued interest within those odd little facts of the metropolis. Though he saw little that might intrigue the Italian fae with colleges and Greek heritage. It was, perhaps, that suggestion of the Montpellier architecture that might have prompted Dorian's interest in such a city so suddenly, he was sure. At least, such was his consideration until Dorian willingly admitted that the city fell under his control. Really, he should have remembered such a fact. He had been entirely keen to tease the man for that city amongst that those that made up his title. It was, however, that mention of the city's lack of a ruler, even despite Dorian's claim to it, however, that only further managed to baffle the man, that Italian phrase altogether foreign to the vampire if only for how long it predated even him. The very suggestion of rule by marriage, however, hardly served to put the pieces of exactly what he was being offered together in any sort of coherent fashion.

The full breadth of that explanation, however, prompted little but silence in the immediate aftermath, the vampire entirely content to almost stare at his lover's profile in a near blank fashion. Slowly, moved from that position upon Dorian's shoulder, his grip upon the King had loosened as his lips parted, the man considering that response for a moment. "Dorian...are you....giving me a city?!" He inquired, that tone of incredulousness was near blatant within those English accented words. It was, by far, the most ostentatious gift he had ever received as a wedding present, the sort of gift he could hardly return. As if being given that title of Prince wasn't enough? The vampire was altogether aware, in that moment, of just how much he surely lacked when compared to the man nestled in his arms. It was hardly as if Sebastian had a city to gift the man in return. The most he had to gift the King was the Ashridge, the one piece of land he held that had once been apart of the royal estate, years upon years ago. Even that, he was sure, paled in comparison. The Crowned Prince of Italy? The Lord of Montpellier? All of that from his lowly position as Baron Brownlow of Belton. How high he'd risen! If only his family could see him now. How proud they would be of their youngest son!

His head shook ever so slightly at that suggestion that he hardly needed to take that city as his own if he did not wish so. After all, though it had been near a millennium since that French town had held any sort of Lord to preside over them, Sebastian was well aware of how important those traditions, much less that Italian law surely was. "If this is what Italian tradition is...then I suppose I have no choice but to be Lord of Caterpillar land." He commented, that smile blossoming on his lips at that mention of that nickname he'd once given such a place, all that time ago when Dorian had introduced him to that plethora of titles the King held. He paused for a moment, already considering the practicality of taking on an entirely city that had gone without for nearly six hundred years. "I...assume it...largely governs itself....right?" He inquired, the vampire uncertain if he truly wished to have his attention distracted from his fiance by the demands of a city. After all, he still had his own estates and businesses to tend to. Beyond that uncertainty of his future managing of such a large metropolis, there was still that simple fact that Sebastian had never been to that city that Dorian was keen to gift him. If he was to be any decent at this Lord thing, surely that matter should be tended to rather quickly, shouldn't it? He shifted slightly, those pensive features certainly gave way to those considerations before the vampire spoke in an almost hesitant fashion. "Could we...possibly visit it?" He inquired, after all, there was still Barcelona to see and all the other places Dorian had never been to. Perhaps this one too could find itself upon their rapidly growing list.

Sebastian Ellington