Chapter 1

"Ceil," Alina Highborn growled up at him as he spun her to the ball's music. It was a slow classic style of music the Phantomhives loved to play, for they played it for balls and celebrations every new year, but she still hadn't the faintest idea what it was called.

Ceil had that relaxed smile on his face that he reserved for things like this, when public came to his mansion. Only she and his staff knew, however, that the thirteen-year-old Earl of the Phantomhive toy company was only pretending.

He never smiled genuinely. "What is it, Alina? Don't want to dance anymore?" he asked it tauntingly, but his face was pleasant. Alina's own features were schooled to match his own. "Of course I would love to keep up this dance," she answered politely. "But it is rather true that you have trouble keeping with the tune-and stepping on my feet." She added as Ceil crushed her left toe accidently with his boot. Accidently, assuredly.

"Well," he responded in a strained voice as he swept her across the ballroom floor among the other guests. Alina could see her white skirts trailing behind her from the corner of her eye. "Let's hope this dance does end soon, so that I can find a more… respectful partner."

Politeness, politeness, and more politeness. It was what she and Ceil played whenever Alina came over by force from her parents. The Highborns were dear friends of the Phantomhives, and she and Ceil had known each other since they were infants. But, after that incident with Ceil's parents and the burning down of his old home, Ceil had begun to act different and rude. Not only that, but he brought back a butler that intimidated her with his too perfect act and his handsome looks. Not only that but Ceil Phantomhive has become the most annoying person ever to her.

He was…way too bossy. She felt herself relax into a standstill.

"Alina?" Ceil said, stopping in their dance to look at her. His ultra-marine colored eye held the candlelight from the ceiling, making it almost seem to sparkle. Alina always wondered what was behind the eyepatch on his right eye, however. He was frowning. "What's wrong, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

That was funny. Her bronze skin never got pale, even if she was frightened, besides, if it did, no one could tell. She glowered her gray eyes at him, scowling. "And whatever do you care? And what are you going on about anyway?"

The changing look of recognition in his eye made him look less cynical. "Oh. Of course," he muttered to himself. "Anastasia warned me about that…"

Alina felt like he'd just slapped her in the face. "Warned you about what?!" she exclaimed. Ceil gave her a startled look, having been thinking to himself, and shrugged, a cocky look on his face. "Nothing. Would you like something to eat? The ball has been going on for some time after all, and I would think you'd be parched."

Alina narrowed her eyes at him, but he turned on his heel to head to the servants on the other side of the room, two of those goofballs that butler allowed to work here: the red haired teen in glasses and that super strong boy with the blond hair, though he was too short and too twig-like to believe, stood at attention.

"I really do not need special treatment from you, Ceil, just because you think we're friend or something." Alina tried. Ceil looked back at her, none too happy like she predicted he would be, but said: "And you think I care about if we're friends or not, Alina? We only grew up together, do not insinuate we could have something other than mutual agreement." Alina tried not to feel too deflated at his condescending tone, but this was what she hated the most about him. His cockiness!

Unfortunately, Ceil hadn't let go of her hand and was pulling her along after him, through the many attendants that were connections to Ceil's toy company. And of course, like all else about Ceil, she didn't know any of the people.

Chatter about random things came from them:

"Isn't this ball just fine? It's always gathered at noon to one."

"It's always held with such precision."

"For a tragic end for the earl's parents, Master Ceil has taken himself quite well."

"Have you seen his butler- ravishing!"

Alina bared her teeth. "Ceil, stop," she said, trying to pull away. "I don't want any food, I just want to- "

Get away from you.

She hated being in the dark of someone she had to be around, but she also hated it when he had a sour attitude. She thought she'd had enough of the dancing and wanted to find her maid and get out of there. Ceil ignored her, though, gripping her hand tighter.

"Young master!" cried the blond boy and the red head together. The boy's green eyes were all happiness and the red head smiled too hugely. It always startled Alina, actually, when she was confronted with people who actually seemed to be happy with Ceil.

Ceil stopped in front of them, Alina at his side and trying to keep from becoming annoyed. It wasn't working.

"Get Lady Alina some water, her throat is parched from all the dancing. Also a tray of Sebastian's pies." said Ceil in his haughty way, it seemed he was also oblivious to their apparent giddiness. Go figure. The servants bowed, shouting "Right, sir, right away sir," before scurrying off.

"They are too loud." Alina said bluntly. Ceil watched them disappear down the hallway, nodding in agreement. "They are a tad noisy."

Alina glanced at him. At his midnight blue attire his butler no doubt picked for him to wear to today's ball. His short dark hair, and that mysterious eyepatch. Alina knew he would never tell her the things that went on in his mansion when she was not around, but he could at least tell her about the butler. Yet, even when she began to ask him, she knew he would tell her to shut her mouth and stay out his business-exactly like that. So, instead she blurted. "I didn't need you to do that for me." Ceil looked at her. Then above her, and his face changed from mildly annoyed to irritation in a heartbeat.

"When did I invite Alois Trauncy to my place?" He muttered in barely contained disgust.

A shout from the double doors broke the calm of the day ball, and everyone turned in startlement to the voice.

"Hello, everyone!" said a boy's shout. "No one came to invite me so I came by myself!" there was laugher coming from him, loud and care-free, as bodies shifted to move out of the way and a boy taller than Ceil by at least half a head walked through the crowd.

He was blond haired and blue eyed and-staring so coldly at her.

"Well, Hello, there Alois," Ceil said glumly. "Tell your butler to stop staring at me." Alina, surprised, looked up at the tall man that seemed like a shadow behind the other boy. He was like Sebastian in the way of his sculptured looks, but for the glasses, and his black eyes were on Ceil in a hungry way. Alina definitely didn't like him, either.

The boy looked immediately annoyed at that, and turned his head slightly to glare up at his butler. "Go find Sebastian and make peace, would you, Claude? I wish to discuss with Ceil about something."

'Yes, young master," the man, Claude, bowed to him with his hand over his heart, much like Sebastian did with Ceil, and walked off to find him. Alina couldn't help but stare after him as he disappeared around a corner. His walk was even similar to Sebastian's.

"And who's the chick?" the boy asked rudely. Alina turned on him, her eyes searing into his pale blue ones.

Eyes so cold like frozen over water, cracked in places and broken in others.

"You…" she started. Then she lunged at him, and he shouted in surprise as they tumbled to the ground. Breathing hard, Alina grabbed his face with both hands and looked down on him, giddy with happiness. She felt her eyes were widened and her smile was hurting. She just couldn't believe she found someone like her….

Broken, broken, broken, like the plastic toys her mother would bring her and she would tear apart, to keep them close to her, every little piece.

Ceil was shocked behind them. "Alina! Get a hold of yourself, did you not take your capsules today!?" he demanded frantically as people in the crowd turned in gasps and stares.

Alois's eyes looked as if they were trying not to laugh at her, but his face was as pale as ice.

"Alois Trauncy," she breathed as he stiffened underneath her at his name. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."