Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine! Please review I would really like feedback to my story, of any kind :D thanks so much!
The room was large and airy, with a vaulted marble ceiling and sleek slated floor. The woman who sat at the handsome desk paused in her work, fingering a sheet of letter delicately. She was stout, rather past her middle age perhaps, yet her grey eyes had by no means lost their shrewdness, or that gleam of something more which could not be found elsewhere. Her face was gently lined and graceful. A thin circle of gold laced through her greying hair.
"Interesting," she whispered, and chuckled delightedly, examining the letter by the play of light. The seal on the envelope said "Phantomhive". "So…five little ladybirds, and…one had come home."
"Grey." A tall figure bowed its way out of the shadows by the door. "I hope you have been doing your work."
"Certainly, Your Majesty," Earl Charles Grey's smile was duly humble. He bowed his head.
"What date, then, had…..Lady Valnagh returned to us?"
"The 19th of this month, Your Majesty."
"Excellent." murmured the Queen, lifting a crisp piece of fresh paper and scribbled with an elegant hand. "Of course...of course."
The room was silent as the fountain pen scratched across the paper. The Queen leaned back and sighed.
"Phipps," another tall form bowed out of the darkness. "Lady Valnagh's decoration for the title of Countess will be within this month. See to it."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A twinkle of merriment started in the Queen's eyes. "Ah, but it does make me feel young to be playing with children once more. And such delightful children, as well, don't you think?"
The Queen's butler's bowed in unison.
"Oh my, but isn't your great day coming along quickly," drawled the woman, leafing lazily through the letter covered in the Queen's writing. She was reposed on the handsome leather couch, as handsome as herself; her hair was a wild shade of snow, and her eyes remind one of the swirling golden breezes of autumn. "Countess...indeed." the woman mimicked a small curtsey.
"Shut up," said Asteria crossly, snatching the letter from the woman's hands. It had been rather an object of anxiety for her. Getting decorated was a big thing, a really big thing, and her mind was troubled by worries of all shapes and sizes, the top of which was…
"I have no idea what to wear," growled Asteria. She glared at the woman. "So."
The woman merely yawned. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not like, your personal butler or something, you know. Your welfare – anything about you, in fact – is of no concern to me."
"A butler! How I wish," muttered Asteria. "Or a French maid or a footman or a cook or patissier or anything!" She narrowed her eyes in irritation. Why hadn't she gotten an all-knowing, omnipotent genie to become something more useful? Right now, Asteria was faced with the gargantuan tasks of starting and managing a household, employing people, catching up with her father's work, branching out on London social networks, continuing her education all by herself, and above all these, she had to find a way to groom herself in the fashionable style of the nineteenth century nobility. It sure wasn't easy.
"A bargain was a bargain," drawled the woman, examining her nails. "I'm way too.. delicate, to be a servant."
"Speaking of which," Asteria smirked, "You sure have taken a fancy to that Phantomhive butler. Oh, don't lie to your mistress!" she said as the woman started. "Your eyes were all over him. Say, how d'you find that guy?"
"Nice figure, gentle manners," the genie snickered. "Charming eyes. Like rubies on fire. But no, my little mistress, I was staring at him for another reason entirely." She leaned suddenly towards Asteria, so close she could smell her breath, smoky as dense perfume. "Would you care to know why?"
Asteria stared into her eyes for a moment, before pulling away. "No, I would not. Not another one of your little secrets."
"Oh, but are you sure?" the genie persisted, her voice low and alluring. "I'm sure here's something you would be interested in. Something," she paused, "you would need to know. Vital, in fact, for your…goal."
Asteria was busy sifting through the papers stacked on her table, and did not pause to consider. "No, thank you. Maybe later."
Fainche plopped back onto the couch. "I'm hungry," she complained. "My sole purpose in staying with you was so that I'd be fed, you know. Regularly. Don't you remember?"
"I'll get Peter to buy more cat food later," said Asteria sarcastically. Peter was the new footman hired yesterday. She frowned; I must remember to get rid of him by next week. Awful taste and bad breath. "Also, I was under the impression that you stayed with me because you'd like to be groomed and pampered over and really fed, and because you liked me."
"Fair enough, fair enough," said Fainche, her eyes half-closed. "Egoistic, humans are." She murmured, seemingly to herself, "But the butler, ah! He was something else entirely."
Asteria smiled. "I still think you fancied him."
"Silly girl," scoffed Fainche. She rolled over to face her. "Listen, later when you're interviewing the servant candidates, watch out for my signal. A noble household with a name as ancient as Valnagh calls for especially talented servants; these are things a little girl like you wouldn't know."
"So you're helping after all," Asteria mused. "Why so kind?"
"I guess I do like you," replied the genie sleekly, reclining back down again.
Ciel passed the Queen's letter to Sebastian. He closed his eyes.
"Valnagh's decoration is next week; the last day of March."
"Arsenic," reported Sebastian. "An abnormally large stock had disappeared from the Underground. Last seen early March."
"Someone hoarded it." Ciel chuckled darkly. "Who would hate the royalty this much, huh."
"A bigger problem is how they managed to get the poison inside the palace." continued Sebastian smoothly. "Into the royalty's food, especially."
"Have you read the Queen's letter?" Ciel's eyes flickered impatiently.
"Yes."
"We move next week." decided Ciel. "The ceremony would be a perfect reason to investigate the palace, and...certain persons, as well." Ciel's mouth curled. "Make necessary preparations, Sebastian."
"Yes, my lord."
