The Strings of Fate
Chapter Two: A Five-Pointed Star
By The YangSistaz
Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.
Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!
"I do not understand why you two still sleep together," Lady Hastings commented with a shake of her head.
The following morning, Lydia's maid had entered to see the two girls together. Apparently believing the sight to be so endearing, she had mentioned the details to fellow servants. Lady Hastings received word of the whisperings and was quick to reprimand the girls. They were currently having mid-afternoon tea.
"I just wanted to sleep with Lydia last night, Mother," Giselle explained with a smile. "What is wrong with that?"
"Aside from your age?" Lydia countered as she placed her teacup. "Shouldn't it be the other way around, Giselle?"
Giselle scrunched her nose at Lydia who smiled mischievously. Lady Hastings laughed at her daughters' expressions and continued shaking her head.
"What will I do with you two?" she questioned more herself than the two.
"Who knows, Mother," Lydia answered with a shrug.
Lady Hastings sighed but remained smiling as she sipped her tea. Giselle glanced at the clock to see it was time for their ballroom lessons. She set her cup down and stood to dismiss herself.
"Our lessons will begin soon, Lydia," she announced and curtseyed to her mother. "Mother, do please excuse us."
Lady Hastings nodded and the girls departed from the parlor.
*/*\*
"You both did well today," the dance instructor praised. "Until next week, ladies."
The girls curtseyed as the man departed and Lydia slumped into the nearest chair with a loud sigh of relief.
"I don't see why ballroom dancing is so important," she commented. "There is no need for such boring lessons."
"Remember, Lydia," Giselle reprimanded in a teasing tone. "You have to keep up with your ballroom lessons…especially if you want to keep going to your sparring lessons." She pulled up a chair and joined Lydia. "I personally had to compromise with Father so he'd let you take those sparring lessons."
"I know, I know," Lydia noted. "I really do appreciate you doing that for me."
Giselle smiled and looked at the clock to see they still had time before supper.
"Shall we go shopping?" she suggested.
"Sure, why not," Lydia replied as she stood. "Anything to get out of the manor for a bit."
Giselle chuckled as she stood and replaced the chairs.
"Let's get going then."
*/*\*
Giselle and Lydia walked along the riverside as they browsed through the many vendors who'd come out for the daily flea market. Giselle bought a new sunhat while Lydia bought a new pair of jeans. As they continued browsing, one particular vendor of antiques caught their attention. The elderly woman had jewelry stands where many "claimed heirlooms" hung from and there were more to view in the back of her tent. Interest piqued, the girls headed inside to see if they'd find anything to buy.
"Look at this, Giselle," Lydia called as she reached for one particular ring.
Giselle joined her sister's side to see what had caught her sister's attention. The ring had an ornate silver piece that held an emerald-cut deep blue stone. Giselle wondered if it was a sapphire. Lydia traced the jewel with her thumb and seemed to be in a daze as she examined it closely. Giselle smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"If you like it that much, why don't you buy it?" she suggested.
As if brought out of a daze, Lydia looked at her before shaking her head.
"I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I'm not a jewelry person."
As Lydia moved to put the ring back, Giselle pushed the jewel back into her hand.
"I've never seen you so immersed by a ring before," she noted. "I'll buy it for you."
"Are you sure?" Lydia questioned. "I can buy it myself."
"It's all right," Giselle replied with a smile. "Consider it a belated birthday gift."
"But—"
"I insist," the older woman urged and went to pay the vendor owner.
Lydia followed after her and the elderly woman smiled when she saw the ring.
"A lovely choice, milady," she commented as she counted change for Giselle.
"You think so?" Lydia asked as she looked over the ring again.
The elderly woman nodded.
"That ring once belonged to a powerful noble family during the Victorian era," she announced. "They were often referred to as the 'Evil Noblemen' because they were tasked with eliminating anything that worried the Queen of that time by any means necessary. Thus, they were also called the 'Queen's Watchdogs'."
"How interesting," Giselle noted. "Do you know if that family still exists now?"
"Unfortunately, no," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "It is believed that the Phantomhive bloodline died out when the last head of the family disappeared. Such a tragedy, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed," Giselle agreed with a nod.
The elderly woman looked at Lydia who was still examining the ring. Then, she smiled and bent down to search for something beneath the table. The girls watched in wonder until she straightened again with a cloth in her possession. She looked at Giselle with a warm smile.
"There's also this pendant that came with the ring when I first bought it," she announced as she unwrapped the cloth. "Unfortunately, none of the customers ever really want to buy it. Therefore, I stopped hanging the pendant with the ring."
The woman pulled up the pendant by its chain and Giselle immediately knew why no one wanted to purchase the charm. The shape—a five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns—was upside down with the star's single point projecting downward. Giselle was familiar with the significant meaning behind the symbolic positioning of the five-pointed star—better known as a pentagram. A symbol of the invocation of Satan and what the Christian religion considered as evil. No one would want to be caught wearing something like that.
"Since you purchased the ring, I believe it best if you received this as well," the woman stated as she held out the pendant.
"Ah well," Lydia started and paused in an attempt to reject politely. "You see…I just wanted to have the ring."
"It's free of charge," the woman insisted. "I have this feeling that those two pieces of jewelry should never part."
"Well…" Giselle said hesitantly. "I suppose if you say it like that, we can take it then."
She held out her hand for the pendant and the woman placed the charm into her hand after rewrapping it.
"Thank you for stepping in today, milady," the woman bid with a smile and bowed.
"Have a nice day, madam," Giselle replied with her own curtsey before leaving.
Lydia leaned in close as they walked away from the tent.
"You didn't have to take that old thing," she said apologetically.
"It's fine," Giselle replied as she placed the wrapped pendant into her purse. "I found the symbol interesting so I decided 'why not' if it's free."
Lydia smiled.
"That's how you've always been," she commented.
Giselle chuckled.
"I suppose so," she agreed.
Giselle stopped when she saw Lydia had stopped walking and turned back to the younger girl to see what was wrong. She followed Lydia's gaze and felt a lump of displeasure rise in her throat when she saw the young couple several yards away. She immediately recognized them as Lydia's friends—at least once upon a time. She wasn't sure of the story behind the three of them but she did remember Lydia's heartbreak from not too long ago. Looking back at the other girl, she could see that Lydia still had trouble forgetting whatever had happened.
"Lydia?" she called as she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Lydia locked eyes with her.
"Y-yeah…" she whispered.
"Come, let's go home," Giselle urged as she ushered the girl to turn away.
"Vince, isn't that Lydia?"
Lydia paused and Giselle looked at her to see the girl's pained expression.
"Where, Alex?"
"Over there; how strange, I don't think I've ever seen her in such fine clothes."
"Indeed; I almost forgot she was of noble blood."
The couple's laughter grated on Giselle's nerves and she turned to confront them. Lydia's hand on her arm stopped her and she looked back at the girl. Lydia shook her head even as her eyes became teary. Giselle felt her heart clench with pain but abided her sister's silent plea. Squeezing Lydia's hand, Giselle ushered her in the direction of home.
"Lydia, won't you even greet your friends?"
Again, Lydia paused and Giselle had to bite her inner lip to stop any venomous words from slipping. She watched as Lydia plastered on a smile and turned to greet the couple.
"Alex, Vince," she greeted. "How nice to see you two again; it's been a while."
"It sure has, Lydia," the girl replied with a smile that Giselle didn't like. "How long were you going to keep away?"
"I'm sorry," Lydia said. "Things have been busy for my family so I haven't been able to leave."
"Is that so?" Vince questioned. "I swear I saw you by yourself at the lake just a few days ago."
"Oh? That was…" Lydia trailed off as she looked away.
"If I'm certain, you appeared to be wallowing in self-pity," Vince added.
Giselle clenched her jaw with irritation at Vince's smile of obvious satisfaction. This commoner…
"Perhaps, she was," Alex noted matter-of-factly with a laugh. "After all, you did play her like the—"
Vision blurred by rage, Giselle almost didn't realize what had happened. She looked at Alex and Vince to see they were both as surprised as she felt. She turned her attention to Lydia to see her sister was breathing hard. Then, she noticed how Alex held a hand to her own cheek. Feeling satisfied enough, she stepped forward and laid hands on Lydia's shoulders.
"I believe it best if you both refrain from appearing before us again," Giselle warned.
With those final words, she turned Lydia around and led her away from the couple.
*/*\*
No sooner did they arrive home did their father call them into his study and the girls knew they were in trouble.
"Father, please let me explain," Giselle insisted as she entered the study first.
Lord Hastings held up his hand to stop her from further explanation.
"There is no need," he stated. "I have been informed of what happened and already dealt with the issue." He sighed. "Lydia…how many times have I told you?"
"I know, Father," Lydia replied. "It was my fault; I will return to my room to think over what I have done."
"Lydia…" Giselle called as the younger exited from the room. "Father…it wasn't her fault."
"You must stop treating her like a child, Giselle," Lord Hastings reprimanded with a sigh of exasperation. "She needs to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions. Why can't you understand that?"
"I do, Father," Giselle said. "It's just…I believe you don't put enough faith into Lydia. Sometimes, I believe it's you who still treats her like a child."
Lord Hastings sighed and chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Perhaps," he agreed. "I believe we are all guilty of that."
Giselle smiled as she nodded in sentimental agreement.
"She is already grown up and I believe we just refuse to notice, Father," she suggested.
"Perhaps," Lord Hastings replied and sighed. "Well, I suppose I need to sit and talk with her soon."
"Indeed," Giselle said. "If I may, Father, I will leave you to your business."
"See you at supper," Lord Hastings bid in farewell.
"And, Father…" Giselle stopped at the door to look back at him. "I apologize for what happened today."
"It was nothing, Giselle; you need not worry."
Lord Hastings smiled. Giselle nodded before she curtseyed and departed from the study.
*/*\*
Lydia hurried to her room and plopped onto her bed. She told herself she wouldn't cry and repeated the command to herself in hopes of actually following through with it. In the end, the command failed as her vision blurred and her throat choked up. Sitting up, she viciously wiped at her eyes and sniffed back the remaining tears. With a sigh, she clutched her pillow closely and buried her face as she allowed herself to cry.
That jerk…
Several minutes later, she heard a knock at her door and silenced herself when she heard Giselle's voice. Desiring to be alone, she positioned herself into a sleeping position. She heard the door open and feigned sleeping in hopes Giselle would leave. After a few minutes, she felt the bed shift beneath added weight. Then, she felt Giselle's hand patting her head and wondered what the older woman was up to. Just as she would've faced the woman to interrogate her, she paused when Giselle spoke.
"I'm sorry, Lydia," Giselle whispered apologetically. "So sorry…"
Confused, Lydia wondered what Giselle could've possibly been apologizing for but never moved to ask her older sister for an explanation.
*/*\*
Giselle smiled as she looked through an old photo album of when she and Lydia were younger. With nothing much to do, she had decided to look over old memories up in the manor's attic. She was looking at a particular picture of the two of them at the beach. She remembered that day like it was just yesterday. The temperatures had reached a record high that day and—as their father suggested—the entire family had gone for a swim.
Setting aside the album, she searched for something else to look through. She paused when something in the far corner caught her eye. A closer examination revealed an antique wooden box red in color with Chinese gold carvings. It was rectangular in shape and stood on four small legs. On both sides, there were buttons that opened the box when she pressed them. Inside she found Chinese silk robes and a journal amongst the clothes.
Curious, she retrieved the book and read the name written on the inside cover: Lau. Remembering her mother mention a great grandfather by the same name, Giselle assumed the journal belonged to him. Flipping through the pages, she paused when she came across a drawing. It wasn't the drawing itself that caught her attention but rather what the drawing was. A five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns with the star's single point projecting downward and Giselle remembered the pendant given to her earlier. With the identical designs, she wondered if it was coincidence…or if something else was at play?
Author's Note: Has it become a bit more interesting? Just one more chapter and the true eye candy of the story will finally make an appearance. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter!
