"Alexander Botchan, what's the matter?"
"Nothing is the matter..."
On the balcony of a grand white mansion, sat a small boy. He had silky brown hair and creamy eyes to match. The boy looked over the lake that took up most of the land in back of the mansion. Several servant were scattered around the lake, pruning the bushes and planting tulips of many colors.
"Then why do you look so solemn today?"
Alexander looked at his butler, his creamy eyes unwavering. The butler was tall and elegant. He had light green eyes and beautifully smooth skin. His hair was kept long, at Alexanders and was always pulled into a low pony tail that hung just past the butlers shoulders.
"Don't question me Sairi..." Alexander looked back down to the servants and sighed, "I'm hungry, Sairi."
"What is it you'd like to eat, Botchan?" Sairi followed Alexander off the balcony and into the library.
"Crème brûlée."
"That's not a meal, Botchan," Sairi sighed and took out a rose gold pocket watch to check the time, "It's almost time for lunch, how about something decent?"
Alexander walked out the library and into a long hallway and looked up and down the corridor, not sure where to go.
"I want Crème brûlée," Alexander wished to go down to the parlor and play with his Brittany Spaniel, Merrely as Sairi made the Crème brûlée.
Sairi sighed, "You may have that desert, after you eat a proper lunch."
Alexander turned to look up and Sairi, fuming, "You dear ignore what I have to say?"
Sairi knelt down to Alexander height and smiled, "Botchan should not make such faces."
Alexander eyes widened at how Sairi treated him like a child. Angered, Alexander slapped Sairi across the face, red in the face.
Sairi didn't stop Alexander from hitting him, though he could have, he had known well that Alexander would have hit him.
"I have to listen to your parents Botchan, they told me to make sure you ate properly."
Alexander turned away, not wanting to hear anything about his parents. "So you listen to them first before you listen to me?"
Sairi stood and patted off the lint that accumulated around his knee. "I have to, they hired me."
"But they assigned you to me," Alexander looked up to Sairi distastefully, "That means I come first, not them."
Sairi smiled and took lead towards the parlor. "But if I listen to you completely, then I'll be fired," he looked back to his master, "You don't want that, do you?"
Alexander looked away and followed quietly, thinking, Stupid Butler.
Downstairs, several maids maid themselves busy around the parlor, dusting and replacing the flowers in each of the many vases. As Alexander entered the room, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him. They all smiled at the sight of him and curtseyed , then in unison,
"Good afternoon Alexander Botchan!"
Alexander smiled slightly at his servants, then waved his hand slightly, you may all take a lunch break. I want the parlor to myself."
The maids bowed again, then headed to the back of the mansion where the maid living quarters were.
"Sairi, find-"
Sairi came from around the stairs, Merrely at his heels.
Merrely tailed wagged and walked to Alexander's side and stayed till his master was ready to walk about.
"Sairi," Alexander stroked Merrely's head, "I want you to go tell the servants outside it's time to come in."
Sairi nodded and headed to the porch. Alexander scratched behind Merrely's head and watched Sairi open the doors to outside. What he was expecting was the same blue skies and brightly colored atmosphere, but instead he found outside to be gray. He walked up to the doors, surprised, Merrely trotting close behind.
"Sairi," Alexander's voice was warning.
Sairi nodded and hurriedly made his way to the back. As much as the young master seemed to be cold, he cared a lot for his servants. Then again, whatever his parents didn't care for, he did.
Soon a hoard of servants dressed in brownish work attire appeared before him. They were all covered in dirt from working, but they didn't look overworked. The servants waited for Alexander's next orders.
"I need two of you to go and secure the stables. Make sure that the horses can't get away if they become spooked."
Two of the servants broke away from the group and rushed off to the stables.
"The rest of you go around the back way to your quarters, I don't want mud tracks running through the mansion."
They all bowed and hurried away. The only one left was Sairi, who stood partially in the drizzle.
"What are you doing Sairi? Get out of the rain," Alexander stepped back into the house, awaiting his butler to follow.
"Botchan, I hear the sound of a carriage," Sairi looked to Alexander, his hair starting to stick to his face.
"Near here?" Alexander thought out loud. The boy moved away from the doors, then came back with a black umbrella, "Go find out what's going on Sairi."
At the gates, Sairi stood, partially damp and hair dripping. The rain had gotten heavier and fell around him in sheets of freezing water. Sairi waited patiently and was soon rewarded with the sight of a carriage being pulled by two silver horses and behind manned by a butler with red eyes.
"State your business!" Sairi yelled over the pelting rain.
"My young master needs a place to stay the night and the river up ahead has flooded the bridge," the other butler replied.
Sairi thought for a moment, then unlocked the gates, and signaled for the butler to follow him.
Alexander sat on a porch bench, Merrely laying at his heels. Looking through the rain, the young boy saw a carriage making its way to the mansion, Sairi leading the way underneath the black umbrella.
"What is this Sairi?" Alexander stood, staring at the carriage and the butler.
"The bridge is flooded Botchan; I thought that it might be in your best interest to let them stay here till the water goes down.
The butler manning the carriage hopped down from the seat to go open the door and to Alexander's surprise, a boy his age stepped out.
"Sairi," Alexander started as he backed into the mansion, "Ready our guests a room, then go about a late lunch." The boy left the porch, Merrely following behind him.
Sairi smiled as he led the guests into the parlor. "I'm sorry for the young master's rudeness, he's not used to being around other..." he looked down to the small boy, "People his age."
Inside the parlor, Sairi summoned two maids, then told them to spread to beds, which they complied with well.
"Oh," Sairi turned to the guests, "My name is Sairi Morelis, young Alexander's butler," he bowed.
"I am Ciel Phantomhive, head of the Funtom toy company, and this is my butler, Sebastian."
Sairi placed the umbrella back in the closet near the door and produced a towel for Sebastian who was dripping, "Please take this. I'm afraid that the young master doesn't like tracks running through the house."
"Of course," Sebastian took the towel and along with Ciel, followed Sairi up the twin staircases to the rooms that were being readied for them.
"When lunch is ready, I'll have a maid made come and guide you to the dining hall. The young master will be there to accompany you."
Ciel nodded, "Thank you."
Sairi bowed then strode off to his master.
"Sebastian," Ciel started into his room, which was just as divine as his own room at the manor back home.
Sebastian followed him into the room and set down the suit case which he had brought with him from the carriage, then went to the bathroom to look over the bath that had been pre-made for Ciel.
Ciel stood by the bed, looking around, waiting impatiently and cold.
"Botchan, the water is fine for you to use," Sebastian stood at the bath door.
Ciel paid no mind to his butler, instead he asked, "When will the rain let up?"
Sebastian smiled, "Do you not like this place Botchan?"
Cieal scowled, but didn't answer.
"Botchan is still a child," Sebastian smiled, "Are you jealous?"
Ciel looked at Sebastian, then motion for him to come and undress him so he could bath. Sebastian complied with a sly smile.
"Botchan?" Sairi knocked on Alexander's room door, "Botchan I need to get you ready for lunch."
"Go away Sairi!"
Sairi sighed and took out a key from his pocket and twisted it around in his fingers.
"You need to host our guests since your parents aren't here."
"They'll be fine, besides, I'm a child, I don't need to do such things."
"I'm coming in."
"No, Sairi-!"
Sairi unlocked the door and walked in with Merrely growling at him.
"I'll ready a bath for you."
"Sairi, you disobeyed me," Alexander growled.
"That is true, but remember, I am your parents butler before I am yours."
"You knew who was in that carriage, didn't you?"
Sairi walked over to Alexander who sat in the middle of his huge king sized bed, leaned over, then dragged Alexander towards him.
"Stop it, leg go of me, let go of me!" Alexander pounded on Sairi's chest and kicked at him to try and push away.
Sairi grabbed both of Alexander's arms and fell over him, holding him to the bed. The butler looked squarely into the boy's creamy eyes.
"I was ordered to make you act responsibly as well. Seeing you don't listen to your parents at all, I have been put in charge of making sure you comply to their wishes."
Alexander looked away, "I don't like other kids..."
"I understand that Botchan, but you need to do this."
"You did this on purpose."
"Maybe, though either way, I believe that it would be best if you tried and regained your playful nature."
Alexander laughed slightly. "I have not the slightest idea what you're talking about."
Sairi stood and pulled Alexander into a sitting position, "I believe that you do know exactly what I'm talking about." The butler started to unbutton Alexander's top with a calm expression. "The type of personality you had when he was around."
Sairi took off the high necked shirt and revealed a chemise and underneath it was a tight vest. The butler left those on and instead placed his hand behind Alexander's head and pulled out a pin allowing the boys hair to flow past his back in long waves.
Alexander blushed, brows furrowed, "I thought we had agreed to never talk about him anymore?"
"Lady Alexandria, "Sairi started, "It is okay to speak of him on a daily basis."
Alexandria looked down, "No, it's not okay to talk about him..."
Sairi combed his fingers through the girls hair fondly, but did not speak.
"It's not okay to talk about him, because... It's my fault he's dead."
