Beneath a stone, a memory…
Beneath an angel, a demon…
Beneath peace, revolution…
"Lady Elizabeth…" Paula's voice echoed beneath the stillness of the graveyard.
"I hope you already found happiness…Ciel…" The lady solemnly whispered in silent prayer before the tombstone of her most precious one.
Paula gazed once again at the epitaph.
Earl Ciel Phantomhive
Born: December 14, 1875
Died: August 26, 1889
Sad, woeful, defeated. That's the only thing Paula has ever seen from the face of her mistress since they have arrived. Today was supposed to be a joyful day yet her mistress wore nothing more but those three expressions.
She watched as her mistress continued to stand before the tombstone: resilient and almost unwavering with hands clasped together in prayer and eyes focused solely upon the name carved on the white marble. It was actually surprising that the lady had insisted on coming here. If anything, this was the last place she thought the lady would want to be. Several times, she saw how her mistress made herself busy just to have enough excuses to justify her reason for not visiting here. She avoided this place much more so than the Phantomhive mansion.
Her lady had every reason though, and Paula understood it well. Looking upon her mistress now, she could not help but recall the memory of the Earl and her lady playing chess, attending parties, and dancing together in such innocent age. Her laugh, his smile…those pictures suddenly flashed back into her eyes. And now, seeing the other half beneath a stone, Paula could not help but tear up. She have met the Earl, he was the quiet type –the serious but caring one. She knew how much that person sleeping six feet below that stone feels for her mistress. He loved her, and he would have continued to do so...if only he was not gone too young…
Paula looked back at her pocket watch. In all honesty, she wanted nothing more but to fulfill the wishes of her mistress and let her stay for as long as she would love to. But time is ticking and Lady Elizabeth cannot afford to be late more than so. They have a number of important things scheduled to do today and this is compromising all of them.
Wiping a tear in her eye, Paula took a step closer to attempt another convincing but her mistress beat her to it as she finally took a step back and turned before Paula could say another word. She followed her tall, elegant stature walking quietly through the cemetery, towards their carriage. Walking behind her mistress, Paula could not help but realize the changes the years brought by. How many years has it been? The low-heeled shoes were clearly out of sight now. Even her twin pigtails were nowhere to be found.
The wind blew strongly and Paula stopped as her attention came to her hat and her gown that almost flew with it. She was in distraught about the whole situation that she almost lost her attention towards her mistress. Yet, as she came back to her senses, she came to admire that person standing against the wind. Eyes closed, lips etched with a faint smile, it was as if her mistress grew wings and found solace against the wind. She would have found it beautiful…if only she didn't realize the drops of melancholy that was being carried with it.
Paula stayed silent throughout their whole walk, thinking of ways on how she could try and make her mistress happy yet finding all of it stupid and completely absurd upon second thought.
The minute they have reached the carriage, Paula immediately jumped back to her senses and reached out her hand as if to assist her mistress up but it seems even in small instances as these, she is also no longer needed.
Five years…that's how long it has been. Five years has passed since the death of Ciel Phantomhive and Lady Elizabeth has now grown to a fine lady. She became even more beautiful, kind, and at the same time wise as how Paula expected her to be. For five years, she occupied herself with duties and built a name of her own. Loved by the people, she was well sought and admired by the noblest of gentlemen. And with such qualifications following her name, it is in no doubt that tomorrow she would already be officially engaged to the mighty and handsome Prince Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert, or known shortly by Alfred, the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
"Paula…"
"Uh—yes my lady?" She answered in her most sunny way hoping, at the least, to alleviate the sorrowed heart of her mistress.
Lady Elizabeth gave her one of her most delicate smile. "Can you please… ring the bells… for me?" She asked, placing her sincere emerald eyes at her maid at that last statement.
Paula caught her own breath at that question. At once, she searched for the eyes of her mistress and upon seeing the tearful smile of the lady; she could not help but feel vulnerable herself.
She frisked the bells on her pocket. How long has it been since her lady asked her of such silly thing? Many times she had considered on leaving these bells at home. Many things happened. Many things changed. And she long thought that her worth as her lady's maid changed along with it…
…but it didn't.
She was still needed.
She was still appreciated.
She was still…loved.
And in that realization, Paula raised her thumb to wipe a tear in her eye and happily smiled. "With pleasure!" She decreed in her most exhilarated tone and at once, pulled out two small percussion instruments from her pocket and jingled quite excessively up until she heard a small, gentle laugh coming from her mistress.
"How was it my Lady?" She inquired partly satisfied at how she was finally able to alleviate the heavy feeling of her lady.
"Delightful as ever, you never changed Paula." The blonde lady answered toning down from her laugh. "Thank you." She sincerely added now with a small serene smile upon her face.
Everything would have been okay by then if not for the sudden stop of their carriage that almost had Paula and her mistress roughly fall off their seat.
"Lady Elizabeth!"
"I-I'm okay." Her lady assured her. "What seems to be the problem?" She inquired and as much as Paula wanted to answer her mistress, she herself does not have a clear thought on what to answer.
"I'm not quite sure myself my lady." She answered then opened the window to talk to their coachman. "What happened?" She asked from the small window on her back.
"There seems to be a body lying on the road." He informed in cold sweat to the two maiden on the carriage.
"What?" Was her mistress' worried response.
"I- I'll confirm it Madam." The coachman countered then closed the window and went down from the coach.
Paula observed her lady fidget in what seems to be more of anxiousness than fear. And as she found Lady Elizabeth's hands reach towards the door of the carriage, she hurriedly reached to stop it by the hand.
"But Paula…"
Paula gently moved her head from one side to the other. "Let me look outside, my lady. Please, do stay here."
The emerald eyes of her mistress were shimmering in worry. "Please Paula, be careful…"
She gave one energetic smile to ease the worries of her mistress before she placed her small percussion instruments on the seat and opened the carriage to go out.
Upon coming down, and closing the carriage door, a cold wind suddenly crept unto her face and soon enough, her face reflected the same anxiousness her mistress wore. Slowly, she moved her hands down and frisked her coat for her guns. In cold sweat, she watched their coachman get close towards the body. For what it's worth…tomorrow is the engagement of her mistress to Prince Alfred…
"BANG!" And at the sight of their coachman falling like an old rotten leaf, she hurriedly pulled out her two 45 mm caliber and aimed at every source of gunshots she could find. She tried to run for cover but they were surrounded. Even the horses were not able to escape their fate. She, herself, is starting to lose all hope as she could feel the cold sweat engulfing her body. She knows its only a matter of time before she could follow suit for she could no longer feel pain. Slowly, her body was becoming numb…her consciousness was blurring by the second…
But NO…!
She has to continue shooting…she needs to eliminate them…all of them…
She has to protect her mistress…!
"PAULA!"
Ah…her mistress…the ever shimmering twisted light of the sun. The source of joy of the Midford, the Phantomhive, and now the Albert Family…
The light…it was fighting valiantly against the people trying to put it down…
"You're…highness…" She managed to utter as she aimed her gun to the last person standing, pulled the trigger, and finally, out of exhaustion, fell flat to the ground.
"Paula!" Beneath the cold and numbness of her body, she soon felt warmth in her hands. Was she still capable of feeling anything, or was that just a figment of her imagination? Paula will never know. Still she tried to open her eyes, and in the center of a very bright light, she found her mistress glowing like the sun but with eyes streaming of sacred tears.
"La…dy…Eli-za..beth…" She struggled to speak.
"Paula…" Her mistress' depressing cry echoes unto her ears. 'Please don't cry' She wanted to tell her, but with all that's left of her, she was only able to give one calm and wonderful smile up until she closes her eyes and fall unto a deep sleep.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji
It was owned by Yana Toboso.
Thank you and I hope you review this story. Chapter 1 is up. :)