His Butlers, Perfect
Prelude
Ciel Phantomhive stood with his face to the sea. His dark hair hung scraggly, tough from a year and a half of brisk sea air, and whipped in the wind. A black shirt with sleeves rolled at the elbow accompanied black shorts and short boots. Ciel's arms were slick and shiny with the salt of the Atlantic ocean, and he appreciated the ruggedness of his appearance. He looked at his butler next to him, on the verge of grinning.
"I believe we've reached what we were looking for, Sebastian. What do you think?" He said.
Sebastian ran a hand over his pony-tailed hair, which had grown long during the journey. Feeling the cool air on his face, he closed his glowing red eyes. Ciel watched him and waited for a response. The boy had learned to be patient since his ultimate command had been made to Sebastian; To be his butler for all eternity, whether the demon got a soul or not. At first Sebastian had been depressed slightly, but now it was as if it relaxed him to have some sort of constant in his life. However, this realization that he wasn't going anywhere apparently made him tremendously slow in making decisions. Ciel thought to himself about how this used to irritate him, but now it was simply how Sebastian was, and there wasn't going to be any changing it.
"It isn't the worst thing I've done, pirating." Sebastian said, and looked down at the young demon next to him. "I have also heard through the grapevine that London has replaced you, so we needn't be going back."
Ciel blinked.
Replaced me, he thought, A new Earl to be the Queen's dog? How? The thought disturbed him, though he knew it shouldn't. He was a demon now, and needed no royal rubbish to trouble him. He knew of no Marquee waiting for duty but Phillip Adlard, and the Adlards were killed off years ago. Who could it possibly be?
"I haven't any idea who." Said Sebastian, reading Ciel's thoughts. "Only that they haven't been troubled with any business yet and that there are doubts that he's any good."
"Yes?" Ciel turned to look over the boat. A motley crew milled about the deck, cleaning and managing and the like. His American faux girlfriend swung about the ropes, grinning like the giddy girl she was, and her brother manned the wheel. Ciel knew that the lower levels were thick with plunder and wealth, and that everyone on his crew was healthy. "I say that the crew of Bella Donna gives this 'New Earl' something to trouble over. What do you say, first mate Michaelis?"
Sebastian knelt on one knee in his black trousers and white dress shirt and tie. "Yes, Captain." Standing, he adjusted his garments. "Miss Melanie Crawford! Front and cen-"
In an instant the girl slid lithely down the thick ropes and sprinted eagerly to the call of Sebastian. Ciel smirked slightly at the scrawny girl whose dream he had all made true. He'd kept Melanie on the boat after she'd stowed away to follow her brother because of Sebastian. His butler had blatantly stated that if he was to have any respect in the pirating world that he needed "some ruthless broad to pose as his partner." Melanie agreed to the position eagerly, begging to do anything not to be alone. The difference between Elizabeth and Melanie as a courtship was that Melanie could understand him and the difficulties of his background. She hadn't been spoiled at birth, and made her way in the bustling and dangerous world of the Boston slums during the midst of the Civil War. Melanie also listened, understanding her place and when to speak. And she was attractive, but that was beside the point.
"Hey, Sebastian. Can I help you?" She said in a voice that flowered with anticipation for any order that Sebastian gave her. Her adoration for the first mate was understandable but unnecessary, however Sebastian ravished in it.
"Tell William to set coordinates for London Harbor. We've an Earl to greet." He smirked as he sent her on her way.
"Yes, sir!" Giving a short, mocking wave to Ciel, she practically flew to her brother. "William! William, to London!"
The boy's prominent eyebrows crooked. "London?"
"London!"
Ciel came up from behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "London."
