Chapter One - Eyes of Rose

Elegant, flowing script covered the pristine letter that sat open before Ciel as he sipped at his morning tea – brewed to perfection yet again. This was the first personal correspondence he'd received from Her Majesty in a few weeks. Foolish of him to think the peace would last any longer. He read through the details of the queen's request with little interest. Once again there were murders to investigate, suspicious characters to examine, mysterious circumstances to inspect. It wasn't until the last paragraph that he became intrigued.

"Assassins?" he asked under his breath, leaning forward to reread that section.

"What was that, my lord?" Sebastian asked from his side. Ciel glanced up at him before frowning down at the letter again.

"Her Majesty suspects that this recent string of murders has been carried out by an assassin order that has surfaced over the past few months. She doesn't know much about the order and wants me to investigate them alongside the murders."

"Most troubling indeed, my lord."

Ciel sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his tea. As if his job wasn't already hard enough with reapers and angels mucking about. Now he had to add assassins to the mix, and who was to say where they came from or what they wanted? The list of victims seemed random. Some were lowly commoners, and some were nobles that he'd met before and knew well – or as well as he could. The only mutual factor seemed to be the efficiency of the murders and the lack of suspects.

Sebastian took the young earl's cup of tea when he'd finished, and then left to return the dishes and cart to the kitchen. Ciel picked up the letter and flipped through the pages one last time, lamenting the promise of quiet that the morning had offered when he first awoke. His routine had been perfectly uninterrupted. Now, he would have to move around his schedule to fit in a trip to the city. He supposed he should have been grateful that the most recent murder was nearby, so he at least had a starting point, but the rest of the incidents were scattered around the country and he doubted he'd be able to visit them all. With any luck, he'd smoke the murderers out before he needed to go that far.

By the time Sebastian returned, Ciel had decided the changes he would make to his schedule. In the midst of relaying the changes to Sebastian, a frantic knocking pounded on his study's door. Ciel exhaled, refraining from rolling his eyes at the panicked cries of his servants, and looked at Sebastian. The butler opened the door and in tumbled Bard, Finny, and Mey Rin.

"Excuse me sire, something's terribly – "

"A woman!"

"-covered in blood and-"

"Finny saw her-"

"-dreadful, it is!"

Ciel slammed his cane on the floor, silencing the competing voices. "Slow down! I can hardly understand what you're saying. Finny, what did you see?"

Finny looked shocked that Ciel addressed him directly. He fumbled for the words and then pointed to the window. "Look outside!"

With a huff, Ciel stood and stalked over to the window, Sebastian his ever-present shadow. Sure enough, they could see a figure stumbling down the road: a woman barely able to hold her head up. Even from far away her clothes appeared tattered and blood-stained.

"Sebastian," Ciel said, touching a finger gently to his eye patch. "Look into the matter. If she is not a threat, then she is a guest and under our protection. Bring her inside."

The butler bowed at the waist, his usual smile in place. "Yes, my Lord."

He turned and glided out of the room, the other servants looking after him with distressed faces. Ciel glanced down at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't just stand around, you three. You have chores to complete, do you not?"

The three servants jumped to their feet, saluting and shouting in unison, "Aye-aye, sir!"

As they barreled down the hallway to resume their duties, Ciel went back to his desk to tuck the queen's letter away in one of the drawers. It appeared his trip into the city would have to wait, after all. He swept out of his study and down to the front door, arriving just as Sebastian returned with the woman in his arms. She looked frail. Her eyes were sunken in, her dark, wine-colored hair dull and dirtied, her bones sticking out in a most unnatural manner, the rips in her clothes revealing open sores and gashes. He'd seen others in her condition before. It always brought back painful memories to think of those children; chained, starved, void of hope. He pushed the images aside and looked to Sebastian.

"Well?"

"She is not in good condition, my lord. I could not determine her situation before she lost consciousness."

Ciel nodded. "In which case, bring her to one of the guest rooms and see to it her wounds get treated. Mey Rin," he turned to the maid who had just entered the room with polish for the banisters. "For the duration of her stay you are to remain at her side. You are to inform Sebastian or I as soon as she awakes."

Mey Rin stood stalk straight, almost trembling with anxiety. "Y-yes, milord!"

As she and Sebastian left to see to the woman, Ciel returned to his study, a headache ready to flare to life. Really, could he not have just one normal day anymore?

Though, he supposed he invited it, selling his soul to a demon and all. At the very least, he was sure the others would behave that day. Their mood was likely too somber after seeing the state of the woman.

As Ciel took his seat and shuffled through his pile of uncompleted paperwork, he realized that the mood had carried over to him, as well. Those children kept returning to his mind, removing all hope of productivity. He growled quietly and glared out of the window at the dark clouds hanging low around the countryside. It had yet to rain that season, and it appeared that the sky was ready to make up for it in full force. Perhaps it would be good to inform the duke that was supposed to visit that some important things came up – Ciel didn't want the man stuck in the manor if the storm turned into a dangerous one. Besides, at the very least, it would him the opportunity to catch up on the work he'd fallen behind in.

With a deep breath, he turned forward and looked down at the papers in front of him, each labeling progress in different areas of the Funtom Company as well as outlining some offers from various potential partners. He had nothing to start his investigation into the matter the queen gave him, so he would settle for his company affairs. A dreary way to pass the time, but necessary nonetheless. Perhaps the next day would look a little brighter.

xxXXxx

Sebastian dried his hands on a towel and looked down at the woman, now covered in bandages and a nightgown he had borrowed from Mey Rin. It was lucky they were similar in size. He was surprised at the number of wounds the woman had, and she should have been dead considering how malnourished she appeared, but still she held on. If the many scars that covered her arms and body said anything, then she was not a stranger to such a condition. To add to the peculiarity of her wounds was the fact that she had been wearing a button-up shirt and a pair of trousers that was held up by a tattered shoelace. The crude clothes did nothing to hide her femininity, and probably wouldn't have even if her hair hadn't been so long. He smirked at the memory of her eyes, which he'd glimpsed before she collapsed. They were a vibrant rose color. Most unusual for a human.

Behind him, Mey Rin peered down at the woman. "Poor thing," she said.

Sebastian smiled at the maid. "I am sure she'll be alright. Just remember to be slow with the water when she wakes."

Mey Rin nodded and sat down in the chair at the side of the bed. Sebastian rolled down his sleeves, pulled on his gloves, and once again donned his coat. He took the soiled bandages with him to dispose of and returned to Ciel's study. Once inside, he couldn't help but grin at the young boy's irritated glaring contest with the empty outdoors, a stack of paper left almost untouched in front of him. Ciel said nothing for a few long moments, composing his thoughts, before he turned to Sebastian.

"Did you learn anything?"

Sebastian bowed. "But of course, my lord. For if I couldn't do this, what kind of a butler would I be?"

Ciel's glare turned darker as he propped his chin up in his hand. "Well, out with it."

"She sustained many wounds," Sebastian said and straightened, his pleasant demeanor turning to business. "All of them appeared to be from the same weapon. Some sort of knife, I believe. Her condition was worse than I first thought, but she seems stable enough. She also has healing wounds on her wrists and ankles. If I could take a guess, my lord, I would say that she's been held captive and been denied basic nutrition for some time."

The young earl did not seem surprised at this news, but his foul mood sharpened nonetheless. He tapped his finger on the arm of his chair as he processed the information. Then, coming to a decision, he refocused on his butler and gave his command.

"If she was able to make it here then either her attacker became bored or she was able to fend them off. She cannot have gotten far with those wounds. Search the area for any sign of a struggle and glean as much as you can. Return here once you are finished."

Sebastian placed a hand over his heart and bowed. "Yes, my lord. May I ask what you would like me to do about the Duke of Wellington? He is supposed to visit tonight."

"Inform him that there are extenuating circumstances."

"Of course," Sebastian smiled. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, yes," Ciel waved him off. Sebastian stood straight once again and turned to complete his new task. After a quick phone call to the duke, he strolled down the lush halls of the Phantomhive manor, too close to the others to risk anything more time-efficient. This unexpected occurrence had thrown a wrench in his plans for the day but – he took out his pocket watch and gave a satisfied nod at the time – it was still possible for him to complete the chores necessary. Especially now that preparing for a guest was no longer a factor.

Outside, Sebastian scowled at the blood stain in the spot where the girl had collapsed. That was another task to add to his list, but he would bother with it later. Then again, he thought, glancing at the dark clouds above. I might be saved the trouble.

With a glance over his shoulder to be sure no one was watching him, he sprinted forward, following the trail of blood. It led him deep into the copse of trees surrounding the manor. As he leapt through the branches he couldn't help his surprise at how long the woman appeared to have walked on her own. He'd thought her fight would have taken place closer, but then he might have heard it if that were so.

It was a few more minutes before the demon came across the site of the struggle. He dropped gracefully from the trees and landed at the edge of a small clearing. The ground was covered in both leaves and blood, and it was clear that the attack was not one-sided. Mixed in with the woman's scent he could detect the blood of another human – also a woman. From the smell of it, they both sustained nearly equal injuries, but there was no sign of a body. Had they both survived?

He walked around the clearing, eyeing the upturned weeds and trodden leaves to get a sense of the fight. It was difficult to tell if either opponent was skilled, but they were at least as skilled as one another. The skirmish seemed to have ended with the purple-haired woman standing over her adversary, triumphant. Sebastian knelt next to the place of the victory and narrowed his eyes. The assailant – well, he supposed he didn't know enough to assume who it was that had been the attacker, so… The opposition had certainly laid there for a long time, though he couldn't be certain whether she survived. He could smell the mingled scent of a few more humans, but none of them had partaken in the fight. Perhaps the opponent had been found and taken away… by passersby or by allies? There was only one way to tell.

Sebastian stood to follow the scent of the other woman's blood, but a dull glint caught the corner of his eye. He focused on the flash and sifted through the leaves to find a dagger covered in blood. The hilt had a single diamond-shaped emerald embedded in the cross, and around it were floral patterns so intricate they must have taken many long days to carve. The pattern even continued onto the blade. Sebastian sniffed the blood and narrowed his eyes as he recognized the opponent's scent. This dagger belonged to the woman at the mansion. How could one so malnourished and poorly dressed come across such a fine blade? A question to be answered when she awoke, he supposed.

With a short hum, Sebastian took out his handkerchief and wiped down the blade until it gleamed like silver. He twirled it a few times, testing its quality, and braced the flat of the blade on his finger. It was perfectly balanced from one end to the next. The mystery continued to pique his interest.

He tucked both the dagger and cloth away in his coat pocket and then returned to the task at hand: to find whoever else had fought here. He leapt into the trees once more, senses focused on the trail. No doubt he would get to the bottom of this. After all, what sort of butler would he be if he failed to manage even that?

A/N: Okay, so... that's a thing. I sort of came up with this story a few days ago and have been writing like a monster ever since... Originally I wasn't going to post it until I was about halfway through, but once I got to chapter six I was just like... hecc. Someone tell me if I should keep going or not, because I am attached to this story and I don't want to be addicted unless I make other people addicted, too. Because I am a horrible human being. So yeah, tell me what you think. This is my first story on here and stuff, but be as mean to me as you want. Any publicity is good publicity, and whatnot. XD Don't hesitate to ask questions, but I can't guarantee an answer because I'm a secretive person and refuse to give hints outside of what I've written. Muahaha. Don't hate me.

On that note, thank you for giving this story a read! Means a lot! Have one hell of a day, my friends. *awkwardly slides out of room*