He watched from his umbral realm as the two greeted each other. He did not particularly appreciate how the boy dared to gaze at his Master as if she belonged to him, and glowered at the almost animalistic lust that rolled off of the hired Lordling in waves as he gazed at the exquisite beauty of Integra. The irritated fiend's mood was not improved when he detected the faintest pique of Integra's heartbeat and blood flow at the sight of the handsome Lordling, who had by now stepped forward and taken her hand, kissing the air above her hand as was proper – well, at least he knew his manners better than to slobber all over her, gloved hand or not. A dark warning growl could be felt emanating from the room's shadows as Alucard instinctually responded to the potential threat to his Master that Nathaniel posed, a threat that the monster could not pinpoint but could feel.

As Alucard's mood darkened the air in the main hall shifted, became colder and charged with a dark malevolence that made most mortals recoil in fear. The young man who was just now releasing Integra's hand and drawing himself up from his deep bow suddenly paled slightly and looked around like a wounded deer in the den of a lion. Integra on the other hand shook with quiet internal fury and visibly bristled.

'Stop it.'

His irritation deepened in the face of her protective tone.

'Under no circumstances are you to follow me. Or Nathaniel.'

He gnashed his teeth at the cold finality of the command (and as she neatly closed the loophole to such), boiling anger taking hold of him for the briefest of moments as he challenged her authority over him, pushing at her control of the seals. Though he had long ago resigned himself to the fate of being the Hellsing's lapdog, it still infuriated his undead soul to be at the whim of a child.

'Don't defy me, Servant, nor make me confine you to quarters. You know very well that I am capable of such. Stay here.' Her anger matched his at his audacity to challenge her. She reinforced the order with a push of her indomitable will. 'Behave.' Another push. 'That's an order.'

By god she was the picture of regality when she defied him. He could recall no more stirring a sight in his centuries of existence than of her, standing in that hallway, her back ramrod straight and her chin at that arrogant angle he had come to know as her 'brook no argument' stance. Her ice blue eyes blazed behind her round spectacles and the air around her crackled with power. She pushed the power of the seals once more, and, when he at last grumbled and sullenly backed down, allowed her demeanor to turn to one of absolute outward calm.

Nathaniel had almost been forgotten as their silent battle of wills had raged, but now that her monster had wordlessly agreed to do as it was told she turned to her escort and fixed him with a gaze of haughty expectation.

For the span of a breath Nathaniel had forgotten every wisp of his decades of etiquette training as he had watched her battle with her Monster. Oh yes, Nathaniel knew about her pet demon, and the knowledge that the hell spawn had been in this very room turned his stomach. But he pushed that from his mind for now. He jumped to under that expectant gaze and offered her his arm. "Shall we, Sir Integra? It does not do to keep Her Majesty waiting."

Integra took his arm almost delicately, shaking her head and deciding that she wholeheartedly agreed with Walter where young men were concerned. Useless.

The couple arrived amid the rush of brightly costumed, overdressed and over-jeweled ladies and their stuffy escorts. Nathaniel was properly in awe of Integra's beauty and when he saw her sniff of disapproval of the peacocks before them he smiled and spoke softly. "You outshine every one of them, Integra."

She ignored her irritation at his too-familiar form of address as she returned the compliment with the polite response of a pretty smile – at least that is what she meant her smirk to be. The brave lad tried to ignore the unpleasant implications behind that expression and offered her his arm as they entered the Queen's autumn gala.

They were announced by the queen's page as were all the arriving guests, a stunning paring everyone agreed. A gentleman in the queens colors approached them and bowed to Integra deeply, telling her the Queen wished to see her at once. The older man led her away from Nathaniel who shrugged good-naturedly at having his date snatched from his so soon. In consolation he reached out and snagged two flutes from a passing wine tray and sank into a chair at their assigned table in the ballroom. With the skill and subterfuge of a street magician he stealthily dropped a small white tablet, which dissolved instantly, into one flute. Carefully he kept that glass on his right, his own on the left. It would not do to have the little pill affect him instead of his target.

Integral returned to Nathaniel's side shortly after, apologizing almost mechanically for the delay. He made a charmingly airy comment about not minding sharing her with the Queen if he MUST, and offered her the wine on his right as she actually chuckled at his flippancy. They toasted to Queen and Country, Nathaniel managing to hide a dark chuckle as she drank.

To be continued...