Chapter One
The Earl of Phantomhive
Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis had been class acts at their best, but given the correct circumstance either could be quite the hellacious character to deal with.
Elizabeth Middleford, Ciel's new young wife, had known this all too well. She and Ciel had wed six months before hand in the beautifully decorated courtyard. It had been an absolute success and Elizabeth herself had looked stunning, as Ciel had eloquently put it.
She had now been known as Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Middleford-Phantomhive, or as the media had put it in their cover story, Earl Ciel Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Middleford-Phantomhive. Either way had sounded good to her, she hadn't minded being called Ciel Elizabeth every now and again.
Ciel had still been just as busy as ever, over the years he had become more stern, and slightly hard hearted but it had all been for good reason. He had been an Earl, after all, and he had to deal with corrupted characters on a daily basis. However, nineteen-year-old Ciel had often shaded his older wife from the adversities of visiting business men. It hadn't been because of jealousy, he had been quite the opposite, he simply just hadn't thought it necessary to trouble a lady in that fashion. After all, he had been the head of the Phantomhive family, the man of the family, long before she had come along.
Elizabeth, despite her contrary past, had not been much of a faultfinder. The older she had become, the calmer time had constructed her and more patient. All of it had been for a good reason as well, for it had taken patience to love a man like Ciel Phantomhive.
Ciel had been a good husband. He had been faithful, responsible, and above all else he had been her best friend. Thankfully, their marriage hadn't been built on just politics. Ciel had done an excellent job of seeing to that. However, the young Earl had spent multiple hours of what Elizabeth called 'Paper Time', in which he had been boarded up inside his office arranging meetings and doing paperwork.
Elizabeth had been a very patient and daunting wife. To busy herself she had seen to her duties around the house, but there hadn't been much for her to see too thanks to the wonderful Sebastian.
Lately, Elizabeth had been craving something more from her husband. These cravings had been kept secret of course, there had been no need to trouble him with her botherations. But being locked inside The Great Phantomhive Mansion had proved detrimental to her mental wellbeing whether she wanted to admit so or not. Most of her emotions as a new wife had been kept under lock and key, and her husband had been far too busy for there to be any kind of discussion concerning her uneasiness.
Not to mention, Sebastian had been the very last person she wished to confide in simply because of his adherence to her husband. It hadn't been that she wanted to keep secrets from him, no not at all, she just hadn't wished to bother him.
"Lady Elizabeth, the Master wishes for your company during tea."
"Certainly, I'll join him as soon as I'm ready, Sebastian."
"Is there any way I could assist you?"
Elizabeth had hesitated for a moment. She hadn't wanted to confide in Sebastian but his personality certainly made it difficult not to do so.
"Sebastian, I- "She had exhaled sadly and placed her petite hands on her shapely hips. Sebastian had both brows raised at her conversational delay. "Yes?"
"It's nothing, never mind. Thank you." Sebastian had doubtfully nodded "I shall return to the young Master than…"
Elizabeth had nodded in endorsement before she had walked to their shared room, she and Ciel. It had appeared that Sebastian had laid a dress out upon learning of her summons to Ciel's quarters for tea. He had truly been a prodigious butler, after all.
The dress had been made with an alluring fabric, new to her. She had not recognized it as being part of her wardrobe. Surely she hadn't ordered something this elegant and placed it in the back of her bureau to be forgotten?
It had been a truly remarkable piece of clothing. Fine threaded black lace had adorned her shoulders and arms in an elegant see-through fashion. At her bosom had begun silken sheets of cerulean fabric embellished with black rhinestones and lace. Such a gorgeous piece couldn't have missed her eye so easily.
After appreciating the fine piece of fabric, she had slithered her lithe frame inside of the clothed cage. Her corkscrew locks had been tied tightly at either side of her head in her usual fashion. Elizabeth had slipped some black shoes on and turned to make her way to the long corridor.
One of her hairpins had snapped and released a large part of her curling hair. She had given an exhausted sigh and decided it best to not even bother with it. Normally she waited until Ciel had been fast asleep before pulling her hair into a tight bun and sleeping in that fashion. He had only seen her go through two hair styles really. She had laughed at herself inwardly and decided to release the rest of her hair. Her petite hands had expertly fluffed a few locks here and there and then she had deemed it well enough to be presentable.
Wearing her hair down had been something new, thankfully it hadn't been the frizzing kind. Elizabeth had made her way to Ciel's chambers, where she had encountered Sebastian standing outside of the door.
"Ah, Lady Elizabeth. You're just in time, I had just brought a fresh batch of tea. "
"Sounds delightful. How is Ciel feeling today?"
"He seems to be in a decent mood, you need not worry about stressing him."
Elizabeth had only nodded before entering the closed room. Immediately he had noticed the lights were severely dimmed as they usually were when Ciel had a migraine. "Ciel?"
He had been seated by a curtained window at the family's handmade crystal table for two. He had looked up at her through one uncovered blue eye and motioned for her to have a seat in front of him. Elizabeth had then sat in front of him comfortably and crossed her legs gracefully. "How are you feeling?"
Ciel had only stared at her as if she hadn't said a word at all. "Ciel?"
"Your hair, it's stunning like this. But, are you out of hair ties?"
"Um, no actually I just didn't feel like going back to our room and getting a new one after my previous one broke."
"It suits you."
"Thank you, Ciel." Elizabeth had looked down into her tea cup. "Why is it so dark in here? Are you ill?"
"No, though I wish had left the curtains open to better see you now." He'd tapped a coin against the crystal table periodically. "Well we should have enough light to talk and sip some tea together." She'd smiled not wanting to force him to get up. "Or if you'd like I could open them for you."
As she had started to stand he rose a hand haulting her. "Allow me. "
Ciel stood and casually walked over to the window where he peeled back the curtains slowly. Light flooded the room and had seemed to center on Elizabeth and her golden blonde hair. "There, that's better I suppose."
Despite the fact that Elizabeth had been a year older than Ciel, he made up for the difference in height. He'd grown tall, far taller than she'd imagined him being. "You're comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Now," Ciel had seated himself once more in front of her, "Sebastian had mentioned something of your behavior lately, said you'd seemed a bit sickly. Are you?"
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about."
Ciel had grown silent for a few moments, "You don't seem all that convincing Elizabeth Cordelia."
"Are you worried?"
"Of course I am, you're my wife. A woman is the reflection of her man, I believe if you love her to the point of madness she will become it, but if not…"
Elizabeth had smiled and straightened in her seat. "Ciel Phantomhive, I want a child."
The request had taken a moment for Ciel to process as his eyebrows had furrowed. "Elizabeth…"
"Now, take your time to think about it. No rush here, darling."
"But what of all those places you wanted to travel to and see, surely you cannot expect to do so much while harboring a child?"
"I shall take him or her with me wherever I go."
Ciel had taken another sip of tea before leaning back in his chair, "Is this what you had told Sebastian?"
"No, I have not told anyone. This is a matter for only a husband and wife to discuss."
Ciel had taken yet another moment of silence as if thinking it over, "Elizabeth, I don't know…"
"Like I said, Ciel, take your time. No rush."
"Well it's seems like you've been thinking on this for a while and now you've decided and you're ready to go while I'm left in the dark in a matter of indecision."
"No, Ciel, don't think of it like that. You know I hadn't meant it that way. I just knew you had been busy for quite some time and me throwing that idea may have been too much and resulted in an argument. Though I must admit, I do feel better about it know that I have told you."
Ciel had grown dangerously quiet as he sipped on his tea. Elizabeth could just tell she had put him in a bad mood. "Are you mad, dear?"
"No, no I'm not mad. I just don't think a Phantomhive heir is something we need right now."
"We don't need anything, Ciel. We have everything, but it's about what we want not what we need. I'm just giving you food for thought, love. No decision needs to be made immediately."
Ciel had nodded in agreement to give some thought and gentle took her hand into his. Elizabeth had stiffened at the gesture; it had been a rare thing for Ciel to take any physical initiative. "Is everything okay, Ciel?"
"I want you to tour the countryside with me this summer, when I go to make my rounds about the respectable factories. I want you to come with me, Elizabeth. If only to get you out of this mansion. Too much time in here isn't good for anyone."
"I would love to go; shall we send Sebastian on vacation in our absence?" She had smiled and Ciel had even cracked a smile. "I'm sure he would appreciate it, Lizzy."