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

He had, once, within his youth, found those church services to be nothing short of dull, boring and insesscently droaning. He had been forced into that religious observance along with the rest of his family from the youngest of ages. After all, the crown had been viewed as the veritable head of the Church, as its staunchest defender against criticism and too- as its leading beneficiary in exchange for the support of those bishops when the time came for new laws to be written, for wars to be fought or indeed, quelling any rebellion from the people. The peasants, his father had said, might not fear him as they should- but they feared God and when the men who spoke for God had been paid to dictate only certain messages from Christ- those that often involved obedience to the Crown- those rebellions were decidedly less. It was this, perhaps, that had caused a great deal of questioning upon his own part. Dorian so struggling to make sense of a God whom seemed inclined to support men like his Father while allowing those peasants to suffer and toil in the fields. Why some men had so much and some had so little he had been unable to comprehend. Those priests, in turn, had provided little by way of counseling when he had queried them on it. Dorian having spent a great deal off his teenage years with the greatest of inner turmoils over the very nature of religion and its purpose. It was within his very nature to question, to understand and yet for so long it seemed no one had held those answers. He should believe in the Lord, they told him, because the Bible said it so and yet the Lord seemed equally capable of being bought off by men with money or manipulated in much the same fashion.

It was Matteo whom had so finally managed to answer his questions. The Frenchman far more religious than Dorian suspected any truly knew. The near anicet Fae hardly hid his faith and yet nor did he preach it in any real sense. Yet it was Matteo whom had restored his faith in the Church, in God perhaps, in the way religion should be observed and carried out and it was within that ideal that Dorian had so found his own peace. Matteo's explanation of the choice a man had on how he observed it, on how he understood it and its lessons and too how he used Religion within his life so afforded Dorian that chance to separate Ferdinands ideals from his own and find his own meaning within it. Such a conversation so surely having prevented Dorian's break from the Church entirely and indeed- he was pleased it had. The Monarch so having come to find a peacefulness in those services- even though he so hardly understood today's sermon in any sense. He enjoyed those words all the same. Just as he enjoyed those hymns even though he could only but hum them and that stained glass that cast its light within that quaint little building. There was something simply contenting in attending that mass, even more so with his husband beside him. The Fae King content to linger but a few moments afterwards on those church steps to greet that congregation that had so readily welcomed them into their church for the morning before the pair so at last managed to slip away.

His hand remained firmly within his lovers own as they begun that walk back. Dorian unable to prevent that warm simper that found his features and too- that admittance that he enjoyed this city very much. The atmosphere alone was appealing. The people of Stockholm were welcoming, that city was beautiful to behold and those sunless winter days, while perhaps the cause of disdain to many, only further assured the Fae King that this was surely a city Sebastian and himself could live within. His lovers sudden assurance that they could very well live here if he desired it momentarily saw the Monarch pause once more, his silvered gaze lifted to the Princes own in that moment of decided consideration. Sebastian was, perhaps, entirely right. They had little need to remain in the city they currently lived in. In fact, they had forever to live in every city of the world. The very thought so managing to brighten that simper upon his lips all the same. Dorian so leaning into Sebastian's shoulder then in that singular moment of gentle affection.

"Do you know, I would not be opposed to that? I am in no rush to move, for now, but I should love to live here one day. I think it is so that we could be very happy in this city. I think Maxwell would like it too. I have seen several other dogs since being here."

That soft chuckle hummed easily from within him then as they continued back toward that Grand Hotel. Dorian quite assured he could live but anywhere in the world so long as Sebastian was with him. His husband, after all, had so long ago become his definition of home that the building itself they might choose to reside in mattered decidedly little. The doors of that hotel were opened by those ever-eager footman, the warmth of that building a welcomed embrace that saw the Monarch unbutton his overcoat before his hand so at last slipped from his lovers own with that reminder that he need wait in that cafe for at least a half hour while he so sought to preparing his own surprise. That near begrudging tone he was so presented with prompted that gentle roll of his eyes before Sebastian was ushered toward that cafe and Dorian himself so headed for the elevators and their suite.

That the hotel had so managed to unscramble his decidedly poor Swedish and provide him with that basket of easter treats was nothing short of delightful! Dorian closing the door behind him only to stroll toward that basket and examine its contents for several moments before the idea of where to hide them so as to best provide his husband with a challenge seemed to occupy his thoughts. His coat, hat and scarf were easily stored away. His tie followed a moment later before several of those more restrictive buttons were undone from his shirt. Dorian quite assured he required greater movability to better hide those chocolate eggs then a buttoned shirt might provide him. The Monarch easily set about such a task then. Several of those eggs hidden in obvious places, places he was assured Sebastian would see readily and as such, perhaps pass over some of those that were better concealed behind the curtains ot the tv, within several pairs of shoes, inside draws and enclosed within several of the books within the library. A handful of those eggs were placed beneath the bed itself. Dorian so forced to crawl across the floor for such an endeavour, the Monarch quite unable to remember the last time he had been beneath a bed in any sense. The things he did for love!

It was only once those treats had been hidden that the Fae king moved to step onto the bed itself. A singular, larger egg was placed on top of the blades of the ceiling fan in a manner the Monarch was assured was quite mischievous before he moved to fish that phone from his pocket and send that promised text that so summoned the vampire back to their room. It was only once such a task was completed that the Monarch grasped that last easter rabbit, placing it behind his back as he positioned himself cross-legged upon the bed. Such a pose decidedly boyish and yet that very game he intended to play was child-like all the same. Dorian assured Sebastian might take a ready joy within it.

It hardly took long for the vampire to return. Sebastian taking several moments to enter that room before calling out his name. The idea that he need guess what had arrived readily piquing his interest. The Monarch near instivicelty going to rise from that bed before seeming to remember that chocolate rabbit he was hiding and hurriedly sitting once more. Sebastian calling his name again.

"I am just in here."

He could so hardly prevent that impish grin that danced upon his features, a look that only seemed to widen at that look of bafflement upon Sebastian's own. Dorian so thoroughly enjoyed surprising his lover in every sense! His use of the word 'hunting' it seemed, had readily captured his lovers attention. Dorian quick to assure him of exactly what 'prey' had so been concealed about the room. That look of delight upon the Prince's features that very look Dorian had so hoped to coax from him. That bright grin readily found his own lips in response as he assured Sebastian he would need find them all alone. Such a look shifted into one of surprise as the vampire stepped suddenly up and onto the bed to pluck that egg from the top of the fan with clear glee. Dorian's arms folding across his chest with a distinct huff.

"Oh, you wretch! That was one of my more devious ones! How ever did you see that? Oh! You brought me coffee, thank you."

Dorian was assured nobody looked at fan blades when they entered a room and yet perhaps Sebastian was just one such person! The Monarch so unable to keep that amusement from his features all the same as he reached to offer his husband tha basket in exchange for that coffee he had brought. The Fae King lifting it readily to his lips to sip on that delightful contents. Sebastian having ordered just that right drink, just as Alexander made it! That query on how many eggs there were had barely only begun to form upon his lips before the vampire was off once more. Sebastian hardly waiting for that answer as Dorain's own eyes rolled good naturedly at his lovers ability to forget anything and everything in the wake of the chance to find chocolate.

"At least fifty."

Whether or not Sebastian was even listening any longer he hardly knew and yet how delightful it was to watch the vampire enjoy himself in such a fashion! Dorian wholly content to remain upon that bed with coffee in hand as Sebastian hurried around that room to snatch up those far easier treats that had barely been hidden at all. The manner in which his lovers features seemed to near wrinkle as he so attempted to engage that vampiric sense of smell so prompting that chuckle from Dorian himself. At least until it was so he was informed off his presence so apparently impeding that very hunt. His scent, it seemed, so distracting from thes cent of chocolate and yet- the Monarch had very near anticipated that very thing. The largest of those easter bunnies hidden behind him if only for his very ability to disguise its scent with his own. The Monarch affording his lover that look of playful falsified indignation.

"Good. I hope I am. If you start to find them all to quickly I shall have to start taking things off to distract you and impede you even more."

That ready amusement so easily laced his words. Dorian assured those concealed behind the tv and curtains, within the pockets of the clothes, beneath the bed and inside the books would prove far more challenging then those treats merely resting upon the shelves that Sebastian had easily pilfered. His attention shifted but briefly away from the excitable vampire then and towards that table to eye the boxes placed upon it. Those the very packages he suspected Sebastian had so been referring to before he had become distracted by chocolate. His silver gaze so regarding them with curiosity.

"Darling, what is in the- oh, I don't know why I bother. Your not even listening."

Sebastian was decidedly not listening at all. That ready laughter falling easily from Dorain's lips at the realisation that his own questions were surely destined to go unanswered while there was still chocolate to be found. The monarch leaning back against the bed head then, that chocolate rabbit still nestled behind him. That clear delight upon his features all the same at the spectacle he was so afforded.

"Your doing very well, love. But you are still missing some of the tricky ones and you shouldn't like to miss one...."

dorian ellington-aragona