Disclaimer : I don't own Kuroshitsuji and the Malfoys which I grabbed from Harry Potter
Pairings : Lady Ciel Hadrianna Malfoy /Earl Vincent Phantomhive
Countess Claudia Phantomhive's keen eyes carefully observed the ladies in the manor hall. Their gowns glowed like meadows, full of flowers that bloomed in the summer. This night's ball was a very special occasion for her family.
Finest fabrics, the best wine and music and of course her beloved heir, her precocious son whom she favoured over her dearest daughter, was the centre of the party.
Her obsidian eyes tinged with a touch of nostalgia when she saw Frances danced with her fiancé, Earl Midford.
Heir Midford was a fine young man, with a strong mind and a clean soul. Claudia was glad with her daughter's engagement.
His son sent her a look before walking into Viscount Durless's daughters. Lady Rachel with her blond hair and dark blue eyes truly shone like an angel, lighten the smile in her son's eyes; her shy younger sister with crimson locks and red eyes hovered uneasily next to their side.
There was a shift in the air, like the room's light dimmed slightly.
It was an instinct that made her turn her sight. Straight from the balcony, two figures who melted into the shadows, a tall figure of a young man with a lady.
"Lady Ciel Malfoy and her butler, My Lady." Tanaka murmured softly in her ears.
Skin so pale like alabaster, crimson smile and seductive gaze of red eyed butler landed on her before his attention went back to his mistress.
She was a quiet tall for a woman, taller than any ladies except Frances. Dark hair, certainly darker than any Malfoys that was famous for their light, frosty hair, dark eyes that was framed with long eyelashes, hinted subtly by light eyeliner and silvery-blue eye-shadow, a gentle chin and rosy lips.
Her figure was like any noble woman, slim and svelte. Her face betrayed any of her feelings, stoic and stiff.
Contrasted with her soft but mannequin like appearance, dressed in her grey silk and dark blue velvet gown, the Lady Malfoy certainly didn't move like a woman.
She had deadly grace like Claudia. Yet, there was something frail, wrapped in those cold eyes, wanting and begging to be protected.
Claudia could see the darkness that followed her, already chained heart and soul.
When she was pondering, her son suddenly appeared and formally asked her hand to dance with him.
And the icy mask the young Lady put was shattered when a small smile formed and Vincent's eyes danced with amusement.
This won't do, her mind supplied.
In the end, there were two names that Vincent deemed interesting.
Malfoy and Durless.
Two women, one with smiles and walked like an angel that flew over the earth; the other was an unknown whose cold expression could freeze the entire Pacific Ocean.
Lady Durless radiated warmth and joy, happiness that would brighten her dark household should she marry Vincent.
Lady Malfoy carried the burden of her family with hard exterior, yet when Claudia saw that smile, she could paint the whole bloodied wall of Phantomhive history in a chalky white colour.
Her soul was pure and untainted, even with her eyes and heart boiled with vengeance.
Rachel Durless was a young lady whose kind-hearted heart famous for tugging anyone who stood next to her.
Ciel Malfoy was a strong woman with fragility, an object that was too interesting to be ignored.
A bright soul whose innocent could be the salvation for his son and a caged one who could bring damnation to him.
The second time Vincent met her was in the Malfoy Manor private garden.
Unlike the famous rumour that her family freed white peacocks which ran amok the wide garden, the Lady Ciel hated animals.
The young heir found himself enjoying the tea her butler prepared while his mistress walked around, barefooted on the green living carpet, trimming the persistently thriving rose bushes.
The scene was a rather similar experience when he visited Lady Durless's manor two days ago except for the gardening.
There wasn't any word exchanged between them.
When the Malfoy lady's slim, delicate fingers painted in pastel gold handed him a beautiful bouquet of white roses and two words "For you" said from her blood crimson lips, accompanied by a sensuous smile, Vincent knew that this woman wasn't a soft, sinless individual like the blond, blue eyed angel his salvation had.
His mother would never give him a blessing if he married with another demon.
He just couldn't help but touched those delicate, bloodied hands, using his mother's embroidered handkerchief to clean the splattered red liquid.
There wasn't any word exchanged between them.
She'd never said anything like love or even like.
He could never say no.
The bed was covered in soft sky blue sheet, fluffy pillows with dark blue silk and quilt with cloud and sun's pattern. Lay in the centre was a little girl; her dark bluish locks framed against his face, dark blue eyes stared emptily against the wall.
Yesterday was the day her parents were welcomed back at Phantomhive Manor.
She'd been here a few times.
Contrasted with Malfoy's Manor brightness, Father's home was drearier.
Long corridors with antique chandeliers, dark and gloomy furnitures filled the ancient house.
One person that seemed to hate Mother's presence was his grandmother.
She didn't know the precious detail; Uncle Sebastian just said that her grandma wanted Father to marry the blond, blue eyed angel, the Lady Durless instead of her dark haired mother. A French abomination, Grandma grumbled when she saw her mother.
Claudia Phantomhive wrath was something not to be ignored and Vincent's saving grace was that he was the only heir.
Claudia couldn't disown him.
Thus, Father was living in his wife's home.
With their ingeniousness, Vincent managed to build a company. Funtom was dominating England with their products.
The humiliation was over now. Father was welcomed back and Mother was reining the household.
Frances smiled as she kept an eye on the children who was playing in the garden. Edward was sitting quietly under the tree, a book of strategy in one hand. Odette, his cousin and fiancée in a little black dress and grey silk ribbon tied at her waist; small hands wreathed a flower crown of white roses next to him.
Mother's disdainful smile wasn't going to last long, especially when the little lady turned her teary eyes into Edward. Her seven year old son was giving the eldest Phantomhive an earful for making his fiancée cry.
It was so rude but even Tanaka, the old butler, gave Mother a disapproving glare.
Claudia only reeled back when her daughter-in-law took the wicked knife that was aimed for Rachel. The young, blond haired lady was a close friend of her after Vincent left and both of them shared an unchangeable ugly opinion of the blue eyed demon.
It was fortunate that her little granddaughter had slept earlier that night, her parents and Rachel enjoyed a night in the study room with her.
The scene of bloodied, torn black night gown, Vincent hands cradled his wife head after the Malfoy butler bandaged his Mistress wound tightly, fingers caressed her son face and murmured words of gratitude before closing her eyes was etched eternally in Claudia's mind.
Her limbs went numb for seconds the next day when she caught Vincent kissed her wife hungrily in the hallway. Her daughter-in-law looked healthy, too healthy to be real with something unnatural shone in her eye.
She eyed the fingers that combed Vincent's dark hair. The scorching dark sapphire, bluer than lapis lazuli and sitting in her daughter-in-law left thumb was the exact replica of the Phantomhive family ring.
She stepped back hastily.
A family, she concluded, dark eyes glazed at her own ring.
A true demon and a family.
She cleared her schedule for today, hoping that the two of them weren't going to keep themselves in their chamber.
She needed to talk to her daughter.
Long walk in the garden and a gratitude for keeping the Phantomhive line secured and safe.
Ciel Hadrianna Malfoy : I really like the name, despite the masculinity. I imagine that Ciel would like to keep his name even if he changed his gender.
Malfoy name was originated from French. Claudia hated her not only because of her influence over Vincent; there was also rivalry between France and Britain.
Odette Phantomhive : She was in the same age with Ciel in the original timeline and engaged to Edward. Ciel named her from the main character from the famous Swan Lake.
Odette's name was not very original, but I liked it.
Claudia was from Claudius, one of Latin name, derived from two diffrent verbs, claudo. The first verb claudo means the same as claudico, namely to limp, but the other verb claudo means to shut something that is open, to close. In certain forms it even means to shut something up, or shut something in something by something, to enclose, encompass, surround, imprison, hide, confine, so alike with her family.
Ciel meant sky, Odette was the white swan. Quite fitting, the light name for brighten the dark and bloodied Phantomhive history.