Tea o'clock

Chapter 1: More tea?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kuroshitsuji manga and I have no rights over it.

Waking up the young mistress had always been her duty. Ever since she could remember, she would accompany an adult maid into the room of count Arrington's remaining offspring and attend to the child's morning preparations. And now, ten years later and a young woman herself, she still knocked on the door at 7 o'clock sharp before entering to help Alice Arrington get ready for her day. As the lady's personal attendee, one would think the help would be used to their master's habits but such was not her case, particularly because the young lady constantly flickered as a source of surprise. In accordance with her routine, the maid slowly pushed open the door and tip-toed until she reached the window, her hands parting away the dark, heavy curtains to allow light inside the chamber. With everything now visible, the maid almost jumped out of her on skin as she noticed there was someone sleeping at the nearby desk, a mountain of papers scattered at their feet. A hand placed on her chest to calm her nerves, the maid attempted to wake the disclosed sleeping woman:

'Lady Alice, please wake up,' she whispered, gently shaking her shoulder. 'Lady Alice,' the maid persisted upon receiving no reaction from the other party. The woman was in deep sleep but the maid had no heart for any additional seconds of rest. Reaching down at the papers, she took one of the pieces and began tearing it slowly. As expected, the lady's head snapped up almost immediately, grabbing the maid's wrists in order to stop her outrageous action.

'What are you doing!?'

The maid ceased with the ripping, shoving the damaged page in front of Alice's face.

'Don't worry my lady, it's blank. I wouldn't destroy anything with your writing on it,' the other woman reassured, content to have found the best way to grasp her mistress' attention. It worked every time.

'Oh,' Alice replied, instantly relaxed. She looked around her room as if making sure she was in the right place and beamed a smile at her favourite maid. 'Good morning, Nora.'

'Good morning to you too, Lady Alice. It would've been better if I had found you in your bed instead of at your desk. What are we to do if you catch a cold, my lady?'

'Hush! Don't speak of colds, I mustn't get one, especially now when I'm so close to helping father accomplish his task.'

'That is exactly my thought, Lady Alice.'

'It's alright, Nora,' Alice said, secretly happy at her maid's genuine concern, 'I slept in my bed for most of the entire night but I must have fallen asleep here a few minutes ago. I couldn't sleep very well, not with all my constant thinking. You know how that is, don't you Nora?'

'I wouldn't know, miss,' the servant answered actually ignorant about it. All she knew was that, when her hard day was over, Nora couldn't wait to get into bed and wash the tiredness away and to her luck, sleep always came rushing in the moment her eyelids fell on her eyes. But matters were completely different in lady Alice's case. This was no regular household; the Arrington line had served the Kings and Queens of England as counsellors since the beginning of time and certain expectations were required of each heir to the title. Nora could not even begin to imagine the pressure that loomed over lady Alice, being a woman and all.

'Did Father come home last night?' Alice inquired, raising her arms to allow Nora to wrap her corset around her waist.

'No, my lady. We are expecting him to arrive this morning,' the servant girl let the other woman know, her fingers skilfully wrapping all ribbons in place. The maid quickly advanced to her hair, pinning each curl of long hair perfectly on the girl's head. Fine materials and expensive accessories were ordered for the young mistress, servants permanently dressing her as one would do for a royal and while everything contributed to make her even more beautiful than she already was, Alice appeared most dashing when ridden of it all.

'Good. Make sure you let me know as soon as he arrives, I need to inform him that I finally got to the bottom of it.'

'To the bottom of what?' Another female voice shot across the room, the icy tone indicating hostility towards Alice's previous statement.

Ah, just in time, the maid said to herself, straightening the last fold in Alice's dress and stepping back two steps, head bowed in respect.

'Mother,' Alice acknowledged the other woman, not particularly pleased to see her first thing in the morning. 'I was telling Nora here that I need to speak with Father and let him know that I have finally deduced who is planning to assassinate the Queen.'

Her mother frowned, lips pressing together disapprovingly.

'What nonsense are you spouting, girl? Why would anyone want to murder the Queen?'

'Someone always wants to murder the Queen, mother. It's what gives people hope. That people like you and me and other rich aristocrats are not immortal and at the slightest moment of carelessness, we can be dragged down from our high horse.'

'I see your father's influence on you is yet strong. I wish you could have learnt more from me instead and practiced your piano more often or mastered your French at a better level. You need to be a proper lady,' the countess demanded, gracefully taking a seat at her daughter's desk. She took out her embroidered fan and began waving it ever so slightly.

'My social assets are satisfactory. For what I plan to do in the future, there are slightly better matters to focus on,' Alice disagreed, already used to this sort of conversation. Her mother, Vanessa Arrington, had always been against her involvement in her father's work despite currently being the only child who could carry on the name. In Alice's view, Vanessa was the most elegant and civilised person she had ever laid eyes upon and at the same time, she was one of the most old-fashioned women out there. She strongly believed women should be docile, loyal and above all, listen to their husbands regardless of their own desires. She used to say that a woman with wants was simply a selfish woman and therefore deserved whatever grim trouble that might have come her way. Needless to say, Alice was quite her opposite. Perhaps their different views represented precisely the reason why there was a raft in their relationship. While close in her younger years, Alice had drifted away from her mother and found herself implicated in her Father's business; from him she had discovered the ropes of politics and the slyness of diplomacy. She had learnt how to ride a horse like a madman and shoot like a member of the Royal Guard. And most importantly, she had instilled in herself the idea that everything she received was not for granted and if not for patience and attention, she could always lose it all.

'And what exactly do you plan to do in the future?' Vanessa asked, fearfully intuiting her answer.

'Become the master of this household,' she replied naturally, no doubt perspiring through.

Vanessa stood up almost instantly, blood rushing to her face in offense.

'That is the most scandalous thing I have ever heard! How dare you?'

'I dare.' Alice came forward, inching closer to her mother as she spoke. 'I know this conversation is pointless since you prefer to force your own ideals on me but I will prove to you and everyone else that I am worthy of inheriting Father's titles, our family duty and honour and I will do an even better job at it than any male heir.'

Nora stood frozen in the corner of the room, wishing she had managed to finish with the preparations earlier and avoid listening to this conversation. She looked up at the two proud women, both so different and yet similar in their stubbornness and hoped for a day to come when they would see eye to eye on their ideas.

'That is impossible, women cannot! Their duty is to marry not remain single and bring shame to their family with this type of behaviour.'

'Father does not think so.'

'Your father has to make do with what he has since I am unable to provide him with a male heir!' Vanessa found herself uttering the one thing she prayed so ardently never to voice out. But it had been too late and if the offence were too grave for Alice, Vanessa could not know. Unlike her, that girl never became confrontational with her enough to cross limits. In that regard, she was far too mature and exceeded expected reactions. Alice swallowed a bitter retort and again, succeeded in controlling herself.

'Please excuse me Mother, I have that piano lesson you keep nagging me about so I am hurrying ahead for breakfast,' the girl said, having won this battle. She gestured for Nora to accompany her downstairs and left her mother standing alone in the room.

'Why doesn't this girl understand I'm only wishing for her well-being?' Vanessa asked rhetorically, flopping back into her chair. She sighed, reaching out for the photo frame on the desk, gazing at the two girls captured within. A younger Alice was being held by her older sister, both laughing happily at the time the photograph was taken. If it hadn't been for that horrible accident seven years ago, Jane would be twenty-six years old today. She would most likely be married and Vanessa would be a dedicated grandmother. Instead, her oldest daughter had long rotten in the ground and the other searched for danger on her own. If only Vanessa could find better words to explain her reasons for being so decisive in the direction of her upbringing maybe they would not end up arguing every time. Clutching the photo frame at her chest, Vanessa felt she could not stand losing another daughter.

In a different part of the manor, Alice descended the stairs and picked up the pace as she spotted her Father entering through the front door.

'Father, you were right. That bricklayer, William Hamilton is targeting the Queen,' she said instead of a greeting.

Daniel Arrington, Earl of Coventry, leader of the Private Secretarial Officers and royal adviser to Queen Victoria had just finished handing his cane and hat to his trusty butler when his daughter's voice filled his ears.

'Well, yes, that much we know. The question remains when he will strike,' he remarked.

'I believe I have the answer,' the girl offered, now face to face with her father. 'I've been to Lady Spencer's picnic party yesterday and she said William finished his job and cleared out his room, it seems he intends to leave England and head back home to Ireland. She was quite displeased about it, he did not properly finish reinforcing the garden wall as instructed.'

'I am not surprised, we can't expect proper labour from the Irish,' Daniel added and offered his arm to his daughter to lead them to the dining hall.

'Nor can we expect decency. I am shocked he managed to get someone to sell him a gun for the deed,' Alice observed.

'Unfortunately, there are many who need quick money. Go on now, what day have you estimated?'

'Well,' she began, her index finger touching her chin in contemplation, 'since he cleared his room yesterday and the earliest ship to Ireland is tomorrow…'

'He will do it today,' Earl Arrington concluded, a wicked smile crossing his lips. 'Well done,' he praised his daughter, delighted to see her smile. 'And you said your mother is unreasonable for suggesting you go attend the picnic. Look at what you've discovered.'

'That is precisely why I went, Father. I was aware William was in her keep. Do you know how unbearably boring Lady Spencer is? She keeps talking on and on about the most trivial of things,' Alice complained, sensing a headache returning just by remembering the previous day.

'Ah, that I can agree with,' Daniel chuckled, having fallen prey to lady Spencer's daft art of conversation before. 'Let's make haste now, we must inform the Queen and prevent her from returning to Buckingham Palace today, that is the only chance Hamilton will get.'

'I actually had something else in mind. I spent the entire night coming up with a plan; after all, we do wish to capture Hamilton in the act, don't we?'

Earl Arrington raised his eyebrows, interested in what his daughter had to say.

'Very well then, you'll tell me that plan of yours over a glass of brandy. You reckon it's too early for it?'

'I won't tell if you won't,' Alice giggled, both of them finally reaching the dining hall. All of a sudden, she felt the need to stop Daniel in his tracks.

'Father.'

'Yes?

'Did you ever wish I were a boy?'

Daniel tensed.

'What brought this one? Did you argue with your mother again?'

'You did not answer my question.'

Daniel released his daughter, positioning himself in front of her and reflecting on her question. He had been so thrilled when Jane was born and could not deny his slight disappointment when the second child turned out to be female as well, especially since the doctor had warned them Vanessa would not be able to bear any other children after the last complicated birth. Yes, he had wanted a boy, someone to share all his responsibilities with but then tragedy struck and Jane died and he never had silly regrets such as those ever again. It did not matter to him anymore and now looking at his daughter, he realized how foolish he had been to wish for something else. Jane, the spitting image of her mother with her red hair and blue eyes had belonged to Vanessa while Alice belonged to him. If she had been a boy, she would look just like him; dark chestnut hair and eyes of such light brown they shone golden when wide open, however those features were now gracing a female face. And then who knew if that child would have turned out the same way because he certainly preferred his daughter the way she was over a possible pompous son.

'I did, at the beginning,' Daniel responded, his sincerity grazing at the girl's heart. 'But now that I look at you, I realize that there is nothing I would change. Questions like these should never be asked again.'

Alice listened carefully to his every word, weighing their truth and warmth. She nodded, understanding that her father was indeed her one and only ally and he would never betray her. In him, she could find the support she had always wanted and one day, he would pass on his role under the Queen's wing to her tiny but reliable shoulders.

'Now come, I'm rather peckish,' Daniel instructed and offering his arm to his daughter again, they both stepped into the hall greeted by their loyal servants.

Sebastian Michaelis began his morning as per usual; first task had been that of attending to his young mater's preparations for the day. The butler had helped the Phantomhive Count get dressed and ready for breakfast after which he made sure to arrange a tray of the best cooked courses to be presented at the dining table. Mei Rin had provided him with the silverware while Bart sliced the freshly baked bread into a serving basket and from Finny, he requested a small bouquet of garden flowers to place in a vase at the table. As Sebastian made his way toward the hall, Ciel Phantomhive had already taken a seat and was handed that morning's newspaper for his reading pleasure. He skimmed through the main titles, attentive for anything that would seem out of the ordinary, watching from the corner of his eye how his butler ceremoniously arranged each plate in front of him.

'For today's breakfast, I have prepared egg casseroles with a side dish of Maidenhead sausages and Wolferman's English muffins with an assortment of homemade strawberry jam and nut breads. For tea, I thought it best to switch out the soft Earl Grey with something more floral to compliment the muffins,' Sebastian explained, pouring a cup for the count.

'A Darjeeling I see,' Ciel identified the flavour, sipping it pleased.

'As expected of Young Master, your guess was correct.'

'Cut the flattery,' Ciel ordered, glaring at his smiling butler. 'More importantly, did you investigate what we discussed yesterday?'

'Yes, our target William Hamilton has purchased a flintlock pistol recently. It appears that his intentions are not peaceful.'

'Just as we've suspected,' Ciel said, taking a first bite of his carefully prepared egg. 'I'm assuming he will attempt to do it today, after all, the Queen is returning to Buckingham Palace this afternoon and she will not make any more public appearances for a while.'

Sebastian listen to his master speak, all the while watching over his eating process. Times such as these often reminded him he too would have his meal soon enough.

'Shall we send notice to the Queen then?' The demon asked.

'No. We don't have to alarm the Queen for something we are not entirely sure of yet. Instead, we'll follow Her Majesty's carriage close by and catch the bandit by ourselves.'

'Very well, Young Master. I will make the necessary preparations,' Sebastian nodded respectfully. 'One more thing before I go, I will leave this morning's correspondence here,' the older male said, placing a silver tray with unopened envelopes next to Ciel's elbow.

It was only after his butler left that Ciel's hand extended towards the stack of envelopes, his features saddening at a particular one bearing the Midford crest. It was the third one that week and he had opened none ever since he had cancelled the engagement with his cousin Elizabeth a month ago. Why would he open it when he knew exactly what it said inside? There would be questions, words of regret and perhaps reprimands. There would be supressed tears and pleads for him to reconsider his decision. There would be pieces of Elizabeth's heart scattered all over the pages and he could not take looking at them. Nevertheless, Ciel would not change his mind. He cared about Elizabeth as part of his family, as a link towards his father's legacy and his promise as a gentleman but he could no longer allow her to be hurt because of him. Ever since he had retuned and had taken his role as head of the Phantomhive household, he had put Elizabeth in danger numerous times before and whenever he would look into his aunt Francis' eyes he would read hidden accusations. While sister of Vincent Phantomhive, Francis had always seemed to dislike her association with the Aristocrats of Evil and who could blame her? She had a family to protect and that other vile role had gone long ago to Vincent. And yet, even she could not imagine matters would worsen to this extent or that her daughter would be exposed to this degree of danger. Vincent was no longer alive and while Ciel had proven to be more than worthy of his title, he knew Francis was still not pleased with the circumstances and so he did what was best for everyone and freed her daughter.

Sipping the last drop of his tea, Ciel left the dining hall to head for his study and put the letter with the rest of the unopened ones. There was no point to this union, especially since he had no right to think of marriage nor descendants. In the end, his lifespan was uncertain and his soul could be devoured a year from now, a week from now, a day from now. He simply could not allow Elizabeth to love him even more than she already did. He needed her alive and blissful, preferably next to a considerably less lethal male match. And while she would learn to move on, he could better concentrate on obtaining his revenge and eventually permit his soul to be devoured by that wretched demon.

'Now, are you really certain about this?' A plum, blue-eyed woman asked count Arrington in the intimacy of her carriage.

'Yes, Your Majesty. We are, without doubt, sure,' Daniel Arrington respectfully replied to Queen Victoria as he stood seated across from her in the carriage heading towards Buckingham Palace. The royal carriage advanced through Green Park, followed closely by two other accompanying carriages and a group of ten soldiers guarding the convoy.

'It is not as if I mistrust your word Daniel but I find it difficult to understand how on earth I could have bothered a bricklayer,' Queen Victoria inquired, eyebrows raised in genuine curiosity.

'Your Majesty, please rest assured there is nothing personal involved. Perpetrators such as Mister Hamilton often attempt such deeds for heroic reasons which they believe are righteous. However, we will interrogate him thoroughly in order to find his true motives or if there are any accomplices. Your safety comes first, Your Majesty.'

The Queen offered an enigmatic smile, her sapphire necklace glistening the same shade as her eyes.

'Even before that of your daughter, Daniel?'

Count Arrington took no delay in answering.

'That girl has nine lives, she resembles me completely. I tend to worry less as she matures.'

'Indeed,' the Queen agreed. 'I am very fond of her. Just as much as I was of Jane.'

'Thank you, Your Majesty,' Daniel offered his gratitude, his oldest daughter's face popping into his head. She had been so brilliant and so loved by everyone. She had been perfect. And now she was no more.

'Speaking of your daughter, have you given any thought to what I proposed earlier this week?' The woman asked, sensing Daniel's sadness seeping through. Jane's loss had been a regretful accident and while the Queen knew it was difficult for Daniel to remember her, she also believed it was a parent's duty to keep their child's memory alive, even if it was painful. However, there was the issue of the remaining daughter and while Jane had been the Queen's favourite, after years of watching her grow into the fine lady she was today, Victoria had been pleased to notice Alice had inherited the Arrington spirit as well and she would make quite the interesting rook on her chess board.

'Yes, of course. Everything will be as you decide,' Daniel raised his eyes to meet those of the Queen briefly, careful not to offend.

'Good,' the Queen said simply and that was when the gunshot echoed through the air. Both of them still safe and sound, Daniel slightly pushed the carriage curtain away to inspect the outside.

'It seems our rat had finally made his move.'

He was not the only one to make his move. From their vantage point, Ciel and Sebastian caught sight of the trajectory of the gunshot. Stopping their own carriage midway, Ciel existed without warning, his tone determined.

'I will go to the Queen. Sebastian, this is an order: Apprehend the shooter and bring him to me without fail!'

Sebastian slowly brought his gloved hand to his chest, offering a short bow as he uttered the words that always promised results:

'Yes, My Lord.'

Running in separate directions, Ciel held on tight to his top hat and went straight for the Queen's royal carriage. As he reached it, he saw a few soldiers from the Queen's guard heading in the direction of Hamilton and had to rub his eyes upon seeing one of them resembling a woman dressed in men's clothing. There was no time for pinpointing the truth though, thus Ciel rushed to open the door to the carriage.

'Your Majesty!' Ciel called out only to be greeted by an empty interior. The young boy took a few steps back, trying to understand why the royal carriage was empty when a female voice reverberated through to him.

'Earl Phantomhive.'

Ciel recognized Queen Victoria's voice, his eyes travelling to the third carriage where indeed, the Queen was in.

'Your Majesty,' Ciel approached with uncertain steps, 'are you unhurt?'

'Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Have you come to my rescue, boy?'

'Ah, there was a rumour, I had to make sure you would be out of harm's way,' Ciel replied.

'Well, you were right; you're always one step ahead of everyone, Earl.'

'Please, I don't deserve the praise,' Ciel lowered his head, trusting that he actually did not deserve it. The Queen had already been warned about today's danger and by someone who had even more concrete information than he did. It was clear as day now; the royal carriage had been just a decoy – a trap to catch the criminal.

Queen Victoria chuckled at his surprise, content to finally see him outsmarted. She gestured for Arrington to open the door and allow passage for the Earl of Phantomhive.

'Nonetheless, it was such perfect timing. Please, join us at the castle, Earl. After all, I intended to send out an invitation to you sometime this week since there is an issue I would like us to discuss.'

'I understand,' Ciel agreed, already climbing into the carriage, his mind mulling over the possible matters the Queen had to address. It could be anything, starting with the order for another mission ending with probable complaints at his manner of handling his commissions. She most likely did not forgive him entirely for the matter of missing children kidnapped by Noah's Ark not to mention that as of late, his process had been sloppy, concluding with more victims than necessary. Ciel assumed it could be even worse than he initially thought especially when he noticed that the person he took a seat next to was none other than Earl Daniel Arrington, one of Queen Victoria's most trusted royal advisors. He withheld a sigh, greeted him politely and prepared for the awakening storm.

Queen Victoria had received them all in her private quarters. While this was not the first time to be visiting the Queen's recreational room, Alice admitted she never happened to be in the presence of those particular individuals, respectively Earl Phantomhive and his ominous butler. She sat next to her father, noticing that the Queen's personal servant John Brown had been invited to join them as well, though he mostly chose to remain silent.

Various plates with sweets and sandwiches were brought over and also hand-painted teapots were now gracing the tables, servants attending to each of them accordingly. Having discarded the borrowed uniform, Alice had changed into a soft blue dress, a colour the Queen preferred to see on her and listened intently to the Queen's line exchange with her guests.

'I believe today we have been very fortunate. We have seized a dangerous criminal who dared threaten the Crown and cause unbalance in my home and for that I have to extend my gratitude to your joined efforts, Earl Arrington, Earl Phantomhive,' the Queen thanked both nobles.

'Please, Your Majesty. We are not worthy of such kind words,' Daniel responded.

'It is simply our duty, Your Majesty. Think nothing of it,' Ciel joined in, a solemn expression gracing his features.

Not exceptionally interested in the pleasantries that went on, Alice decided to ponder on more pressing matters. She bit into a small cucumber sandwich and replayed the events of that early afternoon, trying as best as she could to subdue her irritation. After all the trouble she went through in order to convince her father to let her accompany them disguised as part of the Queen's guard, she could not merit the success of this mission all to herself. It was not polite. Especially since William Hamilton had not been captured by her or the guards but by none other than Ciel Phantomhive's butler. She glanced over to the two men, swallowing the bite she took earlier. They had competent butlers back home as well but Alice had never seen someone as prepared and capable as the count's personal servant. Right when they had cornered Hamilton, the butler had appeared out of nowhere and had secured the offender with such ease, it was beyond human reasoning. Unnecessary, really, Alice thought to herself now that she could not take full credit for her contribution. A servant replenished her plateau with additional sandwiches however Alice had to resist the urge to take another one; she wished to still fit in her dress by the end of the day.

The men continued talking entertaining the Queen in her topics which gave Alice plenty of time to analyse the new enemy. She had been introduced to the earl today having never seen the thirteen-year-old boy up till now yet she remembered meeting his father, Vincent Phantomhive once or twice during social events. A child herself at that time, Alice remembered the late Phantomhive earl as extremely handsome and well-mannered and realized the boy would end up resembling his father in about 6 years or so.

'Very well then, now that we are all acquainted with each other, I would like to address a matter of great interest to me. First of all, Earl Phantomhive,' the Queen directed her attention toward Ciel, 'I heard you have recently broken off your engagement to Lady Elizabeth Midford. Is that true?'

Ciel straightened his back in his chair, finally realizing what all this was about. He expected the Queen to be displeased about his decision however he did not expect for her to discuss it with him in the company of someone else.

'Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty,' Ciel affirmed, bringing his cup of tea to his lips to hide any perspiring emotion.

'Good!' The Queen chanted, her hands clasped together joyfully. Upon skilfully seeing the look of confusion on the young boy's face, Victoria went on with the explanation. 'Because I would very much like it if you and Lady Alice here would get engaged as of today.'

As a reaction to the Queen's statement, Ciel involuntarily spurted his tea through his lips coughing loudly in the process. Silence fell over the entire space, the only persisting sound being that of Ciel's spastic coughs as he shamefully tried to gasp for air.

'More tea, Earl?' The Queen asked Ciel visibly amused.

Finishing his round of coughs, Ciel raised his hand slightly, finally succeeding in delivering his answer.

'No, there is no need, Your Majesty.'

'Perhaps you have objections to my wish?'

'No, Your Majesty, I would never. I trust your judgement completely.'

'That is exactly what I needed to hear. Lord Arrington, there you have it. Your daughter is to marry Earl Phantomhive when he comes of proper age. How old is your daughter now?'

'Eighteen, Your Majesty,' Daniel Arrington replied.

'Very well, you don't have long to wait, my dear Alice. In a year, Ciel will be legally allowed to marry you.'

Alice remained motionless in her seat, her own heart almost stopping its beating cycle. She opened her mouth to utter something. Anything. But there was nothing. Status and social constraints obstructed her voice. Stupefaction wrapped its long fingers around her neck, paralyzing her senses, rendering her unable to react to the horrific news. She turned her head to look at the Phantomhive count for any sign of rebellion but the boy had regained his composure in the meantime and was currently starring at her with his only visible blue eye. The Queen herself was fixing her with her gaze, almost provoking her to refuse. Her father on the other hand, avoided looking at Alice completely. Just when she needed him the most, the main enemy had revealed himself to be in her boat. Her fingers curled on the armchair sides, her eyes burning questions into her father's skull:

Father, why are you allowing this? You promised me, didn't you? You said it was alright if I never married and inherited your name and title for as long as I lived. I was prepared to be Countess Arrington forever, no husband, no children, just this duty that I take so much pride in so why did you agree to this? Why are you selling me off to the Phantomhives? Am I not worthy enough? Is this it…?

'Is there something wrong, Alice? Are you perhaps not content with my choice for you?' The Queen inquired, picking up on Alice's state of panic. 'He is a fine boy in whom I place absolute faith and he has proven adequate at sustaining his household. I don't see why you would be against it.'

While there was nothing untrue about the Queen's statements, that was not Alice's main issue here. Truth be told, she had heard herself about the tragedy that struck the Phantomhives and how that boy had managed to rebuild everything back all by himself and while he most probably deserved an outstanding wife, she was not the one for him. She had her own goals and glory to achieve and being resumed just to being someone else's wife was not what she desired. She could not accept it. Alice would not. She gathered all her mental strength and raised her head to look at the Queen straight in the eye. She was alone on this battlefield but she would put on a fight. She would take her shield and sword and … drop them all the Queen's feet. Victoria's stern expression permitted no room for any negation. As soon as Alice dared to revolt, the feeling of regret engulfed her completely. What a fool she was, thinking even for a second she could resist against that woman. That pillar of support, that wall of iron and power would not be broken. Despite seated at the same level, Alice felt as if the Queen had been raised on a tall pedestal looking down at her intently. In defeat, Alice closed her eyes, not believing the words that came out of her mouth:

'I am most grateful, Your Highness,' Alice responded, realizing that disobeying the Queen was not one of the Arrington family's common mistakes.

'Congratulations, Alice,' Daniel finally acknowledged his daughter's existence, a wave of relief crossing over his face at her decision to handle everything gracefully. This time however, it was Alice's turn to ignore him as she leaned in her chair, shaking moderately.

Witness to the entire unfolding scene, Sebastian bent enough to reach Ciel's ear.

'Young Master, this could turn out to be problematic.'

'Not necessarily,' Ciel said, his delicate fingers rubbing at his chin in thought.

'What exactly do you mean by that, if I am allowed to ask?' Sebastian manifested his curiosity.

'Do you know who Count Arrington is, Sebastian? He is the closest nobility to the Queen. The amount of information on his hands is endless; his connections are impressive and his influence definite which means that having ties with this family will ensure finding the ones responsible for the fall of my household considerably quicker,' Ciel whispered under his smirk. 'That, of course, entitles you getting your hands on my soul sooner than expected.'

'Ah, I see now,' Sebastian said, his smile now matching that of his master. Maybe that young woman could turn out to be a blessing in disguise instead.

'Moreover, a year is a long time and I don't plan to wait that long to get my revenge. I'm sure the same goes for you,' the boy revealed, his hand instinctively now touching his eyepatch in contemplation.

'I couldn't agree with you more, Young Master,' Sebastian arched his back to his initial straight posture, sensing he could start to appreciate Lady Alice's addition to the picture.

The conversation versed into its initial flow once more, no further discussions of marriage involved and thus Alice was free to wreck her mind over her new situation. She could hear her mother laughing in her face, repeating the words she had tried to instil in her ever since birth.

You may try to rise up against the world as much as you like Alice but as you grow up, you will come to understand that at times, we are all forced to do things we can't accept and that does not depend on age, status nor gender. This is how life is and we all have to play our parts.

No matter how humiliating it was for her to accept that her mother was right, Alice had to see the truth for what it was. Her turn to pay the toll for living had arrived. She was not even able to fight back. In just a few minutes, her whole existence had changed into something else and she felt she had lost pieces of her identity through this engagement. And not only did she have to say goodbye to her ambition of taking her father's role and becoming the Countess of Arrington but she was also to be wedded to a child. A boy five years younger than her who could only see her as a beneficial transaction, as it often was the case. Glancing over to the boy count, Alice's face paled in indignation. Did he just smirk her? Did that brat truthfully smirk at her? Did he not realize what was going on? Or maybe he did, after all. Ciel Phantomhive was the Queen's watchdog but in comparison to him, her father was a high-ranked lion. In a single day, Alice's status had diminished while that boy's had risen to unimaginable heights. And only because she was temporarily weak and had no idea social confrontations could attain such supremacy. But she could learn, could she not?

I'll give it two months, Earl Phantomhive, Alice thought to herself. In two months, I'll make you regret saying yes to this engagement and you will be the one to break this union off, after all, you have the precedent, she figured, referring to his previous broken engagement with Midford's daughter. And I will be free and ready to deal the same with any other future fiancé until I will be the ruler of my household and true bearer of the Arrington name.

Needless to say, by the end of the Queen's tea party, everyone was smirking.

A/N: Hello everyone, nice to meet you and welcome back to any potential old readers/reviewers. I hope this chapter has sparked some curiosity so if this is something you would like to continue reading, please leave a review to let me know if I should continue this story or not. This is tagged under romance as well because this will be a growing relationship that has the possibility to mature as the characters reach adulthood, *cough Ciel especially. This will be a challenge for me to write because it is not your regular relationship and it is fulfilling to write about Ciel since he is a man in a boy's body and he does not let anyone in his life except Sebastian and this element will be forever present in this fanfiction. Thank you and take care!

Mentions:

- Marriage age in Victorian era: After 1823, a male could marry as young as fourteen without parental consent, and a girl at 12. Most girls, however, married between the ages of 18 and 23, especially in the upper classes.

- An unmarried woman of 21 could inherit and administer her own property. Even her father had no power over it. Which is why Alice hopes to become the Countess and heir.

- William Hamilton: tried to shoot the Queen in 1849 as she was travelling in her royal carriage toward Buckingham Palace. I changed some of the facts a bit to suit the story.