England, the year is roughly 1889. The setting is the interior of the Phantomhive manor, a posh, luxurious estate with seven floors, a wine cellar, a flourishing garden filled with exotic, imported flowers, vegetables and fruits, a pool, three courts for playing different sports, a beautiful waterfall with a lush landscape decorated by lovingly hand-sheared topiaries, original art from Michelangelo and Da Vinci, old, rustic, original Roman and Greek statues, and many lavishly decorated rooms and hallways.
The manor belonged to a wealthy young couple, Rachel and Vincent Phantomhive, a lovely young pair with kindness and determination. Unfortunately, Tragedy struck and the lives of Rachel and Vincent were stolen away by a blazing fire. All that was left was their little boy, Ciel. After witnessing the deaths of his parents first hand, Ciel became cold and distant, a shell of the happy child he once was. All he had to his name was the glorious manor, his father's ring, and his servants. He had many different servants that worked there but none were so determined, loyal, and loving as Bard the cook, May-rene the maid, and Finnias the gardener. They were complete buffoons, imbeciles, fools but they had been with the staff for such a long time with Mr. Tanaka, keeper of the written history of the Phantomhives, who had a bizarre condition to where he would lose his mind every now and then and talk in gibberish. He had known Vincent since he was a lad so, naturally, they kept him around.
Perhaps the most dutiful, single-minded, goal-oriented person in the household was Ciel's personal butler, Sebastian Michaelis. Sebastian wasn't there long; in fact he had just arrived after the death of Ciel's parents but what he lacked in history he made up in everything else. Sebastian was immaculate, flawless, and quick in everything he did always going above and beyond to satisfy the needs of his young master. The staff was in awe of him, not to mention he was extraordinarily handsome, debonair, and had this calm, collective, fluidness about him that made his every move, sensual. At this moment the submissive butler stood ever punctual, pressed, tidy, and ready to serve at Ciel's side, where he could always be found.
Ciel stood at his mahogany desk and was reading a letter from the Monarch of England, Her imperial majesty Queen Victoria. His electric blue eyes followed the page with interest; his arm lay comfortably under his chin, resting his head. A yawn was ushered softly out of the young earl's mouth along with a small growl from his stomach. Ciel felt a slight warmth thread through his cheeks.
"My lord, do you wish for me to check in with the kitchen and request for them to prepare a light snack with a warm beverage for you? Perhaps some tea and cakes?"
Ciel looked up at his butler who looked a tad concerned about him. The young Earl sighed. He had been hungry for some time and had been avoiding it this whole time but now it was obvious, thanks to the growl of his starved stomach. His eyes closed before he gave up his resolve.
"I suppose I could stomach a bite or two. Very well, you may request for the kitchen to produce a worthy snack."
"Yes, My lord," He said ever so properly before placing his hand upon his chest, over his heart, kneeling, and bowing his head. He smiled softly then peeked through his dark bangs. "What is it you request?"
"It doesn't matter. Surprise me," He responded nonchalantly
Sebastian nodded then departed leaving the room cold and empty. Sebastian walked into the kitchen to find it in shambles. The walls had black char on it, splattered sauces and soups, lettuce and other vegetables scattered everywhere, kitchenware, fruit, milk, fish bones, and potatoes were littering the counters, floors, and walls. Bard's dirty blonde hair was now puffed out into an afro with burned food and sauces splashed on his shirt with his hair and face charred. He rubbed the back of his head with his cigarette, also burnt, hanging out of his mouth lazily. He laughed nervously, eyes closed in shame. Sebastian's right eye twitched slightly as he surveyed the area.
"Bard…what happened?"
Bard trembled a little. Sure, Sebastian sounded calm and happy with a curving smile upon his pale-lightly tanned skin but it was a fascia, a deceitful deception to hide the true feelings that lurked behind that smile.
"Well," Bard began, "You see…things got…out of hands here."
"I can see that Bard..." Sebastian sighed then opened his crimson eyes, "How many times must I tell you a chef must have a clean kitchen at all times. A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen and that kitchen will provide sustenance for the master. Happy kitchen, happy master. Understand?"
Bard shook his head, his newly formed afro bobbing. Sebastian was something of a role model to Bard, May-rene, and Finnias and to all who dared to call themselves servants. He began to roll up his sleeves and clean the kitchen in a flash. Before Bard could blink or get in a single heartbeat Sebastian was done. Sebastian was always inhumanly fast at everything and did his duties with precision. A perfect butler in every way.
"Whoa…I 'aven't seen the kitchen this clean since I first came here. Not a single spot of dust, dirt, or grime. It's almost sparkling in here!"
"Nonsense, I just tidied up a bit. Anyone could do it if they had the resolve."
He tied a starch, white, pressed apron around him as he started gathering ingredients for a small cake.
"Do you need help?"
Sebastian added more ingredients then pointed to the cabinet and requested vanilla. Bard clumsily opened the cabinet and grabbed a vial of vanilla extract then handed it to Sebastian. He looked it over and sighed.
"Bard. Let me give you a lesson in baking like a professional baker."
"Alright. Teach me."
Bard stepped next to Sebastian looking at the vial of vanilla extract. He wondered what the little brown bottle with a picture of a vanilla bean and a yellow-ish flower had to do with baking. Perhaps Sebastian would teach him a recipe? Bard really wasn't a top chef and the most he could do was eat the food he "prepared" for Bard would burn the entire stove top just by boiling water.
"When baking anything from bread to butter cookies one must use natural, real ingredients. Using extracts gives the food a false, generic flavor. Now in this case if you were to use extract of vanilla it would taste like a vanilla pudding one could purchase with a banana flavor that isn't satisfactory. When you use real vanilla it gathers every inch of vanilla flavoring pulled from the vanilla bean. You get notes of flavor that are unique to the bean. They are flourishing this year and I would like to showcase them in the young master's snack."
"One problem, I don't think we have any vanilla beans."
"Oh, we don't? Excuse me for just a minute. While I'm gone make sure nothing happens to that batter."
"Yes sir!"
"Oh and…please do keep the kitchen in order."
Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Bard who shook with fear. Bard knew he's be in for a thrashing if the kitchen got out of hand while Sebastian went off to do god knows what. Sebastian walked past the other servants, who all bowed with respect at him. He requested that if they must bow then bow to the earl, he had no right to be bowed to for he was just a mere butler. Sebastian quickly procured plenty of vanilla beans, oranges, and other items that he realized they didn't have in the kitchen then waltzed back into the kitchen to find it in the order he left it in.
"Where'd you go?"
"I've acquired some vanilla beans and other delectable seasonal items, fresh from nature. Now we can continue making our cake."
Bard scooted closer to Sebastian to watch what he did. It was hard to gather all the information with Sebastian doing everything in a flurry of motions. Scraping the essence off of the vanilla bean, grating the orange to collect the zest and squeezing juice into the batter. The cake was popped into the oven while Sebastian and Bard worked to make a suitable frosting.
"That's it bard now add some cream cheese."
"Cream cheese!?"
"Yes, don't question me, just do."
"Alright, you're the boss."
Bard whisked in the cream cheese with the milk and sugar also adding heavy cream with honey and orange zest. Sebastian overlooked him as he started the tea, making sure it was the right kind of water and the precise temperature and timed correctly while also whipping up a thick vanilla cream pudding, adding spices. The oven beeped, the cake was done. Sebastian carefully slid it out of the oven and smelled it.
"Perfect."
May-rene and Finnias smelled the appetizing desert and peered into the kitchen.
"Hello, whatcha making?" Asked Finnias curiously
"Some sort of orange-vanilla cake. I'm helping."
"Oh wow. It smells great, yes it does. It looks lovely!"
"Thanks May-rene but we still need to frost it, right Sebastian?"
Sebastian smiled lightly as he filled the cake with his vanilla spice mix. He hoped his young lord wasn't getting to impatient. Ciel was getting a headache because of how hungry he truly was. He scooted his chair back and was about to leave to find Sebastian to see what was taking so long but he was stopped. He heard a sweet sound, a gentle sound, something that made his ear twitch. It was the happy chirping of a blue bird outside his window, on the ledge of the balcony. Ciel moved closer, opening the window slowly as not to scare the bird. He sat there in the chair n the balcony and watched the little blue bird with his black-tipped feathers and white chest tweet merrily without a care. Sebastian came in the room with a covered silver tray, a china blue tea cup on a plate with a white and blue tea pot promptly steaming upon the tray set upon the cart.
Sebastian was about to announce himself but he saw the peaceful sight of sunlight tinting the blue-black hair that belonged to his little lord and the pale skin that never tanned. He was watching a bird, Sebastian noticed, a little blue bird. Sebastian understood. That bird reminded him of the child earl and he knew that this is what the blue-eyed boy was thinking too. The silent butler went out to the balcony and watched the bird with his master.
"Oh Sebastian, I didn't notice you."
"Forgive me for not announcing myself, my lord but you seemed so at peace out here and I didn't want to disturb you."
"What do you have there?"
Sebastian removed the lid to reveal white and orange iced cake with orange pieces on the top. Sebastian placed the lid on the underneath part of the cart.
"Today we have a cake made with different types of regional oranges and some fresh vanilla bean that is affluent this time of year. There is a honey, cream-cheese and orange icing with a vanilla spice filling. Accompanying it we have a chai tea, imported from china. Please enjoy."
Ciel picked up the fork and dug into the cake. It was moist, perfect and smelled heavenly. Ciel was accustomed to only the finest from his butler. Sebastian never failed to please and surprise him. The cake was heaven sent, the oranges were very sweet on his tongue, the vanilla was so obviously fresh and delicate, the spiced cream was like eggnog, and the frosting was divine with that last hint of honey as you swallowed.
"How is it, my lord?"
"It's fine."
"I'm so glad you find it satisfactory. And the tea?"
He took the white and blue porcelain china cup and sipped the tea delicately just like a nobleman with his pinky promptly away from the rest of his fingers, hovering above the handle. Perfect.
"A little strong, but it's alright."
"Would you like more sugar to tone it down?"
"Two lumps, as usual."
Sebastian used the sugar tongs to place two sugar cubes in the steaming amber liquid. Ciel's eyes never left the bird that was stretching his wings, showing off those brilliant blue feathers. Sebastian watched as well.
"Birds are fascinating creatures. For as long as there have been birds there have been envious humans trying to fly as they do. To have that freedom to go wherever they please through the light blue skies all covered in clouds. To soar through the sky and see the world beneath their feet. Freedom…it's obtainable yes but for a lot of people the type of freedom a bird has is something desirable."
"Freedom, huh?" Ciel mused watching the bird take off and fly into the sky. "To go anywhere…and do as you wish."
"My lord?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing. Never mind."
Sebastian knew what Ciel wanted more than anything, to be free, to escape. Ciel himself was thinking of being a bird, to go wherever he wanted, to go free of these chains that held him down to this lifestyle or rubies and riches, palatial palaces, lavish luxuries, and strict restrictions. He twirled his father's ring on his finger knowing that in his past he had been content but he was a naïve child, he considered himself an adult now. He'd been through too much to still be a child despite his small stature, child-like face and body, and his age-12. He took another sip of his tea, enjoying the silence and calm before the ever looming storm of his pompous life.
"In the letter it describes the murder of a family The Lemouites, all that's left is the two young children. Naturally, her majesty is upset about the news and wants us to check it out. The usual, gather suspects, find clues, aid Scotland Yard, and interview witnesses. She also wants us to console the living members of sed family, Felix and Cecil."
"Shall I get your hat, cloak, and cane?"
"Yes, do that. Make sure my shoes are polished as well and cape pressed."
"Yes, my lord."
Sebastian picked out the dark green cloak and hat that had light blue roses and a white bow on it.
"I rather like the name Cecil, don't you?"
"What's that?"
"I said, I rather like the name Cecil, don't you, my young lord?"
"It's just a name."
"Ah but a name is one's title and holds more value than a beating heart. A name tells a person who you are and what you stand for. For some people it's the first thing they see and they only thing they know. Like Phantomhive, that name has a rich history behind it, a famous name that brings other companies to its knees. The name is powerful, dominant and strong. My name, for instance is special to me. I suppose the reason I like the name Cecil is because it reminds me of your name. Just switch around the letters a bit and add an extra C."
Ciel scoffed slightly but he was thinking about what Sebastian said. Names have promises, past, pain, and power. A person should feel proud about their names, claim it, own it and realize that without a name they are nothing but Ciel was starting to not want his name. He loved his family, not his past but the history before it. All the finery holding him down, shackling him to this manor that still, to him, smelled of blackened, burnt fabric and flesh, that had the echo of fire crackling against the walls, that had screams of pain and horror, was too much for him. Just for once he wanted to be a normal boy and not have to worry about all the stress and suffering that comes with being born on a pedestal but he knew there was no way to escape…at least, for now.