Hello everyone! Due to all of the positive reviews and encouragement from all of you, I have decided to continue on with this story. I was really surprised by all of the support you guys have given me so far- thank you so much!
I was really struggling at first to write this chapter (I haven't written another chapter for this story in months!) so I apologize if it feels forced at first. After about 30 minutes into it I fell into an easy writing pattern and it felt natural.
This chapter sets up the struggles that Alois is going through right now. His own doubts and uncertainties will prove to be his downfall later on...
I apologize for any grammatical errors. I'm not perfect!
And of course, enjoy!
Alois POV
I skipped down the hallway to my bedroom, satisfied with myself. Everything was going exactly as planned! Ciel was now under my control in the cellar, and that cocky demon of his was being dealt with by Claude. There is simply no escaping me now, Ciel. I knew I would get what I wanted! I thought proudly.
I opened the door to my bedroom and peered inside, wondering if Hannah was still cleaning. That dimwit had taken up most of the day cleaning around the house, and the last thing she did was go into my bedroom. Knowing her, she was still in here taking her dear old time. Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I still have that idiot of a maid.
The bedroom was completely vacant. The tea set I had broken earlier that morning had been swept away and the dark stain on my rug had been cleaned as well. I walked over to the bed and plopped down. The brightly colored bed sheets were now clean and soft, and I snuggled up inside of them as I thought about Ciel.
Ciel is an interesting character. He's strong and independent, and always seems to have a handle on things. Yet at the same time, he still has an air of innocence about him. I blushed as I thought about those eyes of his- eyes that seemed to peer right through you with his icy gaze, yet captivating and charming. Everything about him was so tempting, so tempting that it teased me so much. I couldn't wait to finally satisfy my urges.
I rolled over onto my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows, resting my chin in one hand. "I wonder if Ciel has anything nice to say about me," I murmured aloud. He probably didn't, considering the fact that he acts like he despises me, I decided. He probably views me as a nuisance like everyone else seems to believe.
I swung my legs over the edge of the large bed and walked over to the mirror hanging on my wall. I pressed my hand to the reflection staring back at me. No matter what happened I still remained the same. Pale blond hair that fell in slight waves just below my ears. Cobalt eyes that had seen things that no one should see, that had seen terrible, vile acts left and right.
I smirked at myself smugly. Never mind that, I was the ruler of my own castle now, and I had subjects under my command. I was to be held in high regard, for who could disobey me? No one would get past me and my wishes- not even Ciel.
"Ciel will be mine tonight, and I shall use him as I please. Everything will go perfectly as always." I cocked my head to the side. "After all, a king deserves nothing but perfection."
My reflection raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "And you're sure about this?"
I jumped back in surprise. What the bloody hell? Did my reflection just talk to me?
"You would be nothing more than a mere fool if you believed a lie such as that." Sure enough, my reflection was staring back at me coldly, with his hand placed on his hip, trying to have a conversation with me.
What did he mean by daring to call me a fool? "Who do you think you are, calling me a fool? How dare you!"
"I'm you, obviously. Or has your sight become as corrupted as your brain?"
"You must have some nerve, down talking to me in this way. I'll have you know that I'm-"
"Nothing more than a captive of this household. How long do you plan to live under their deception?" It closed its eyes and sighed. "How long do you plan to live under your own deception?"
My hands were beginning to shake and I could feel my heartbeat start to speed up. What in the hell was going on? Was I dreaming? Had I fallen asleep when I laid down on the bed earlier? This couldn't be happening to me. It was absurd to believe that my own reflection was chatting with me; or rather, it was absurd to believe that my reflection was lecturing me. That's all this was.
I laughed nervously. "I must be having a nightmare of sorts. That's all there is to it. Just a wild dream." I pinched myself, but the reflection was still there, as if to mock me. He laughed scornfully at me.
"It's not a nightmare, Alois Trancy. Or should I say, Jim Macken." He paused to gauge my reaction. My hands were now trembling slightly and I was struggling to find my breath. He chuckled before continuing. "Good, it seems that you know what I'm talking about. Oh, who am I kidding, of course you know what I'm talking about. You can't escape your past that easily."
I grit my teeth and forced myself to find my voice. "You bastard. How dare you call me by that name. You don't know a damn thing about me. I am Alois Trancy, Earl of the Trancy Manor!"
The reflection tsk-tsked as he shook his head. "Come now, didn't I tell you that believing in lies only made you out to be a fool? And what a complete and utter fool you seem to have become. It pains me to see that you have become this."
"Shut up!" I screeched, finally gaining full control of my voice. My hands and legs were shaking like a leaf on a tree at this point, but I wouldn't let this damn thing continue to talk to me any way he pleased. "I am the proud head of this manor, and everyone loves and respects me! As they should, since I am royalty. I am like the king of this household, and a king will not be regarded as a fool!"
"It's good thing you're not a king," my reflection piped up quietly. "Actually, I take that back. It's a good thing you're not a king in this estate." He crossed his arms and let out an impatient breath. "You don't belong here to this place known as the Trancy Manor. You belong in that godforsaken village, Jim Macken. That place is your home."
"Just shut your mouth, you insolent fool! I-"
"That is the place where you reside as a king. In that wretched hell hole, with death and disaster looming around every corner."
That village. That accursed village, it had been years since I had remembered it. That village that sparked everything.
"You were Luka's king." The reflection said softly. He smiled sadly. "Your highness."
"W-what are you-" I stammered, falling to my knees as memories started to attack me. I tugged at my hair in desperation and shook my head violently, trying anything in my power to stop the rush of memories that were now washing over me.
"Luka? Where are you?" I called out, stumbling in the darkness. We had been out all night pummeling the village for all it was worth. Every last one of the old geezers were dead anyway, so what did it matter? They wouldn't be able to miss their things beyond the grave.
Yes, every last one of those bloody bastards who had the nerve to spit at us and to treat us as if we meant nothing, they were all long gone. A miracle had occurred; or should I dare to even call it such? I had stopped believing in that fable known as God long ago. Regardless, we were granted luck. Something had swept through the village and had left nothing but devastation in its wake. Destruction, fire, death- yet it all seemed like heaven. Our wishes had been granted! We would suffer ridicule no longer. And everything here, it was all ours now. All that was left to do now was to find Luka so that we could live out our wish together.
"Luka?" Where was he? "Luka, where are you? You had better not be playing a joke." Of all the times for him to be messing around. I continued to walk in the gloomy shadows, calling out his name occasionally. I peered around the corner of an old brick building and thought I saw someone lying on the ground.
"Luka?" I inched closer. Upon closer inspection I could see the silhouette of Luka. "Luka, there you are!" I bent down beside him. He was silent. Had he really fallen asleep? "Luka, wake up." I nudged him gently but he didn't move. I rolled him over and gasped. His eyes were wide open and staring up at me lifelessly, his brown orbs completely glassy.
"Luka? Luka, wake up!" I shook him roughly, his limbs flailing around like a child's doll, but still he remained silent. His body felt colder than ice and his face was a deathly pale. "Please Luka, wake up! Wake up!" I clutched him closer to my chest, crying bitter tears of disbelief. "Don't leave me alone, Luka!"
"Luka," I muttered quietly under my breath, "don't go, Luka. Don't leave me all alone like this." My head was throbbing and tears were flowing openly from my cobalt eyes- eyes that never changed. They weren't glassy and lifeless like his. Why? Why was he gone while I was still alive and well?
"Luka, don't leave me!" I screamed wildly like an animal as I lunged towards my unsuspecting reflection. He screamed in protest and tried in vain to cover his face with his arms, but I quickly shattered the mirror with my fists.
I continued to pound that wretched being away with my fists, my screams but a distant echo in my ears. The only sound I could focus on was the sound of me crying out to Luka in that memory. "Luka, don't leave me!" I continued to cry out as my fists became a bloodied mess.
The once pristine carpet was once again stained. Crimson spots were beginning to form rapidly as shards of broken glass were driven into my knuckles. Very little remained of the mirror but I continued to beat and batter it. I would have no more of that smug reflection!
Suddenly I heard the faint sound of rushing feet and then the sound of my door opening.
"Your highness, what are you doing? Please stop this!" Someone pulled at my shoulders and forced me away before I could do any more damage. I turned my head in anger to see who had disrupted my fit of rage: it was Hannah.
"Look at your hands, they are covered in blood! And glass is clinging to the carpet. Come, you must stop before you get hurt any worse! We must bandage your wou-"
I broke her off with a swift slap across the face. "You bitch! How dare you get in my way!" I pinned her to the floor and leaned in closer to her. She was still sporting the bandage wrapped around her eye from when I had previously struck her. How stupid she must be to interfere with me again. "Do not ever order your master around." I wove my fingers into her pale hair and tugged. She whimpered slightly.
"Y-yes, your highness. I am terribly sorry." Her voice wavered pitifully as she attempted to atone for her behavior.
I slid off of her and onto the floor. "Now get out of my sight, you disgusting whore."
She stood hesitantly and bowed once before fleeing. I leaned back and sighed. My fists hurt like hell and my head felt like a train had run straight through it. I was considering taking a nap before I remembered something vitally important. I had a date with Ciel tonight! I gasped and shot up. I had lost track of time while I was battling with that hellion.
It was already late, and I was sure that Ciel was expecting me. I didn't want to disappoint him so I hurried as fast as I could to get ready. I slipped my normal clothes off and ventured into my wardrobe. This would be the tricky part: deciding what to wear.
I sifted through rack after rack of ordinary clothes that didn't seem to suit my tastes at all. Most of the garments in here had never even been looked at, much less worn. I paused in my searching when my eyes caught sight of something bright. It was a vibrant red and it appeared silky. I pushed the other clothes aside so that I could view it better.
It was a silky, bright red robe. It was gorgeous and sleek, and sexy enough to wear for tonight. I had the nagging feeling that I had seen it somewhere before but I quickly shrugged the feeling away before I could get carried away with my memories. I put on the bright robe and then tried to bandage my wounds up as best as possible before I skipped back out into the hallway.
Even though the day had been a disaster, I wasn't going to let it taint my plans for tonight, because I had a very sweet evening ahead of me. A sweet evening full of passion and pleasure. I shivered and licked my lips as I skipped happily down to the cellar where my love awaited me.
Was it good enough to continue and post another chapter? Next up is Alois and Ciel's "date" and things will get interesting! ;)
Please let me know what you all thought of this chapter. Reviews and critique are always appreciated.
Again, thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys are amazing!
