Sebastian Ellington-Aragona

Crowned Prince of Italy

How distressed his lover had been of late, those text messages sent to his brother had largely gone unanswered the past month or so. Any inquiries the fae made to his father or godfather were largely brushed away by thinly veiled excuses. It pained the vampire, admittedly, to see Dorian ever the slightest bit...downcast and yet, there was little he could do than to sit by and listen with the gentle word of encouragement. His sibling's birthday had provided a more than an adequate distraction - prompting his husband to throw all of his attention into securing both that birthday present and the meticulous creation of the handcrafted birthday card to accompany it. Frankly, Sebastian hadn't gotten the impression that Aiden cared much for sentimental items such as cards but he hardly had the heart to suggest such a thing to the fae Monarch when Dorian was so put out on the subject as it was. How many hours the fae had poured over those sheets of paper! How many renditions he had seen tossed in the trash as the fae made each brushstroke and pencil stroke with precision. His determination to ensure that card was perfect was rather endearing in itself and frankly, he could only hope Aiden would show at least some level of appreciation for the artwork. For now, however, there was little he could do than sigh as he adjusted the positioning of the bow upon the sleek black vehicle at Alexander's behest.

It was, admittedly, a rather beautiful car, even without the bow. There was something distinctly...aggressive about such a vehicle. Those sharpened edges and roar of the engine posed the exact sort of car that Sebastian himself might have enjoyed, even if he had opted out of driving it. Obtaining such a vehicle had been, admittedly, a challenge, though one Sebastian had taken up with some measure of gusto. His husband's name alone had failed to sway the car's previous owner, that fact alone altogether a rarity and yet, their family had been nothing short of determined to acquire the vehicle. A short plane ride later and Dorian and himself landed in northern Europe with the sole intention of returning to Italy only once they had the vehicle's title in hand. The CEO who had owned La Voiture Noir had hardly been prepared to receive a visit from royalty, even despite Matteo's assurance that they were both incredibly interested in the vehicle and more than willing to make the trip from Italy just for this car. Initially, Sebastian had been content to linger in the background and allow the pair of fae to deal with that negotiation and yet, it quickly became apparent to the prince that neither were terribly equipped for such skills of persuasion. It was rare that Sebastian took the lead in front of his husband and father-in-law, those traits of that had made him a profoundly effective CEO and lawyer were often subdued as the vampire struggled to find his own place within the fae's family. It was only once he feared they might fail their task that Sebastian had truly stepped in to negotiate the details and price of that sale. It had still been an altogether difficult bargain, the previous owner had made more of a profit off of it then Sebastian had thought appropriate but their desperation for the car had forced them to settle for the once owner's terms.

It was only once the bow was 'correctly' in place that Sebastian and the Dark Hunter at his side stepped back to survey their handiwork. Really, even Sebastian could taste the apprehension within the air and yet, with such an extravagant gift, he couldn't fathom how they might fail to impress. Matteo's sudden inquiry on the state of that card, however, drew the crystalline hue of Sebastian's gaze towards his husband. Dorian's insistence that there was something still wrong with it prompted little more than an almost irritated sigh from the Frenchman. A singular glance was given towards his father-in-law before Sebastian turned to approach his lover. Dorian, he knew, was entirely capable of pouring over that card for days before the Monarch deemed it complete. Unfortunately, any further time was a luxury they did not have. He watched as Dorian leaned back from his task, only to present the card he'd been so diligently working on. There was no denying that it was magnificent - though Dorian's art tended to be meticulously accurate in every way, those camelopards aside. His crystalline irises skirted over the colored masterpiece from the calligraphy of each letter to the depiction of both the vehicle and panther. What finishing touches it required were altogether lost upon Sebastian when surely it seemed extravagant enough as it was. "I think it's magnificent, ma biche." He commented softly, leaning down ever so slightly to press his lips sweetly against Dorian's forehead. "Your brother will be here in a moment though." He offered as an almost gentle reminder that the card truly needed to be finished soon.

Thankfully, his lover seemed to get the hint as the fae declared the card finished and ready for their signatures. Dorian was the first to write his name ever so neatly upon the interior of the card before it was passed to Matteo, Alexander, and, finally, himself. His gaze swept across that card a final time, only to linger, momentarily, upon Dorian's signature. Even though the pair had been married for just over a year and a half, Sebastian still found himself oddly...content to see his own last name appended to Dorian's. A small simper floated across his features as the vampire penned his own name, only to hand it back to his lover. The very completion of the card, however, seemed to spur Matteo into action once again as the fae issued those final orders. Sebastian was more than happy to obey, however, the vampire fetched the fine bottle of whiskey from where it sat, wrapped and ready for consumption. He trailed after the rest of the party onto the street outside, only for the warehouse's heavy door to slide to a close behind them. His fingers intertwined with Dorian's own as they waited and yet, Sebastian could smell that unique aroma of Dorian's sibling just before the Were rounded the corner. That subtle glimpse of surprise upon the man's face was almost expected, only furthering the toying of that simper upon his own lips at the two fae beside him bickered in hushed undertones. For all their peculiarities, it was....nice, sometimes, to have a family such as this one again. It was only Matteo's insistence that Aiden might not respond well to that gift that prompted his own gaze to weaver and briefly his brow furrowed in a slight glimpse of concern. God, he hoped, for his lover's sake, that tonight went well.