Chapter One
I heard the clop of hooves outside my carriage as we made our way through the rolling countryside, heading for a cottage in the distance. In about an hour from now, I will have an audience with Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian, which is an exciting prospect.
For all I have known, Ciel is the head of the Funtom Company, though it has expanded to much more than toys. About three years ago he came to America, looking for refuge from who-knows-what that the kid got in to. It was quite a mystery indeed. I have heard he used to deal with cases involving the underworld, but I'm not scared in the least. I've also heard stories that say his butler is... not exactly human, so to speak. That doesn't seem to scare me either. It's too late to turn back though, and I am on important business.
Regarding this "business" I speak of, I was sent by the president to learn of his whereabouts, and to keep everything a secret about it. It was quite hard to find him, even more so to keep this secret. I soon realized my carriage had stopped, the door opening slowly to see my maid Hannah and a tall gentleman in mostly black, with middle-length black hair. This must be Sebastian. Standing next to him was a boy about my age, standing shorter than Sebastian but still of decent height. He wore black dress pants with a light blue shirt tucked in, a jacket pulling the ensemble together. His hair sparkled, his one eye regarding me simply, the other behind an eye patch. I assumed this to be Ciel, though he carried himself more like a forty year old man instead of an eighteen year old boy.
Behind them stood a modest two story cottage, colored a non-offensive light red. I took my maid's hand as she whisked me out of the carriage onto the paved road, my heels clicking almost nervously. Sebastian said, "Good evening Miss Summers. Please, do come in. I have tea waiting." I curtsied deeply, muttering under my breath, "Sorry, my mom had nothing to spare. She tends to be old-fashioned." I stepped into the simple cottage, admiring the small details an ordinary person wouldn't notice, like the navy accents in a white room, everything giving off a homey feel, without even a hair out of place.
I followed Sebastian into what looked like the dining room. Ciel stood at my side, seeming quite dulled. Against the wishes of my master, I spoke. "Ciel, do you miss your old life?" He stopped me, Sebastian stopping and turning around sleekly, saying, "Is everything all right my young lord?" Ciel's eye flashed a violent shade of red before hastily saying, "Please give Lady Isabella and I a moment. We will be right in." They both stood tall and proud, Ciel radiating... courage? I smiled stiffly, not used to hearing people use my first name, before quickly saying, "Hannah, would you go help Sebastian? He'll probably be grateful for an extra hand." She nodded, walking gracefully on the heels of Sebastian.
I looked at Ciel with a raised eyebrow, his face betraying not a single emotion. He did something I had not seen before. He looked at me with a genuine grin, saying, "I do miss my old life. But, I'm happy as I am now. I'm actually glad you asked. I haven't felt elated about anything recently, and that smile was surely needed." He gazed at me softly, taking in my face as I looked back at him. I felt my heart jumping in my throat, my vision getting blurry a bit. I heard a noise similar to a gunshot outside the window. I felt a tear run down my face, as a sharp pain tore through my skull and I fell, hearing a sickening "thud" and more pain shooting through my head and neck. I lay there paralyzed as Ciel bent over to study my face, the tears showing behind his eyes. I heard a door open, with yelling voices that hurt my head, and Sebastian picking me up gently, supporting my neck and letting Hannah see the tears spilling out of my eyes before I went limp and everything went black.