Yay~ 2nd Chapter complete~! I don't own Kuroshitsuji, kay! I repeat I don't own it! Though I do owe Princess Sophia~

It was late in the morning when Sophia finally arrived in London Station, immediately finding a stream of servants waiting for her in the said Station, along with an elegantly appointed white and gold gilded carriage. Wincing at the large crowd that surrounded her and her bodyguards, she mentally chuckled bitterly, So much for my quiet afternoon. Grandmother must you inform EVERYONE of my arrival; she let out a small sigh. Sinking into the red velvet seat, she let out an exasperated sigh. She denied the tiny flagon of sherry offered to her by the footman but grateful for the warming pan and lap robe that came along.

Tucking right beside her was Maria Bakers, her maid, confidant and best friend since childhood. She was sweet, warm, cheerful and playful but diligent and well-trained. She had dark brown hair and caramel brown eyes, along with a violet maid's uniform. She is also Sophie's traveling companion and she knew Sophie more than anyone else besides her parents and grandparents. And though Maria was her maid, she was like a sister to Sophie and she is quite protective of Maria.

And with a clap of the reins and the click of the whip, they were off. As they rode into the city, Sophia couldn't help but notice the large amount of people who were crowding the streets, looking for a chance to see her. Her indigo blue eyes scanning the crowd which consisted mostly middle-class people, the occasional street urchins and beggars as well glimpses of nobles, clad in silks, velvets and furs with their footmen carrying their master's goods.

"Wow, a lot of people came here to see me, didn't they?" she asked Maria, her maid, who was sitting on the opposite of her. Her soft brown eyes peeked at the carriage window, looking at the same people who were looking at their carriage, all eager to see Princess Sophia.

"Indeed, your Highness, but it's quite expected people are curious to see the princess who has been away traveling around Europe for 10 years," answered Maria.

Sophia sighed as she nodded, her pink lips pursing a bit as she looked out the windows, "10 years, huh? London hasn't changed much, hasn't it?" she sighed. She suddenly felt a large lump down her throat. Am I nervous? she thought, before shaking her head, nodding to herself a bit, That can't be it! I mean, she is my grandmother after all. Hmhm! That's right… Unbeknownst to her, Maria was watching her with an anime sweat drop at her mistress's strange nodding and quite nervous smile.

Though she was normally confident (overly confident, at times), she couldn't help but feel nervous after not seeing her for 10 years. Her grandmother, the one who used to dot on her as a child, the one she used to play her violin foe after her grandfather died, the grandmother she loved and missed so much in her 10 years of being away from London. Though she won't admit it openly, her parent's deaths really affected her dearly and she longed for her playmates-cousins.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that the carriage was nearly at the palace. Upon looking out the carriage window, her eyes were immediately met by the full palace staff. Seeing a long velvet carpet laid-down on her feet, each side had a thousand maids, leading towards the ornately decorated gilded double-doors of the palace.

Oh shit, she thought before covering her mouth, realizing that she had just cursed. Even mentally that was improper for a princess but still…she was away for 10 years. Being free-spirited and spontaneous for 10 years was a hard thing to let go off. Suddenly she slapped both her cheeks at her sudden nervousness, 'Pull yourself together, Sophie! You've played concerts with people more than this! So okay! Just don't think about tripping or falling and revealing your silky drawers in front of everyone in England thus ruining your family's royal name. Yeah…don't' immediately she made a face. She really wanted to hit herself. I hate myself…

Her self-scolding was interrupted when Maria came and shook her slightly in her seat, "Your Highness, we're almost there."

Sophia let out a smile and said, "Thank you, Maria." Okay she was almost there and with each meter closer sent her heart thudding. She had her eyes closed the entire time, calming herself down with even breaths.

Soon the carriage was filled with light and at the door was a footman, wearing a midnight blue velvet jacket with gold embroideries and white ruffles. He reached out his gloved hand and bowed low over her, "Welcome back, your Highness." Smiling she placed her hand delicately and allowed herself to be escorted out, followed by Maria.

When she finally met the crowd, she was professional and regal, as a princess should be. Years of strict etiquette training taking over her, with her chin high, back straight, posture dignified and with delicate walking; she occasionally smiled and nodded at the staff, sometimes waving at the staff. Okay so far so good. At least I look good, she thought proudly. She was never the one for looks but during her stay in France, she was thought that she should at least take good care of her appearance. She wasn't vain, just quite proud borderline: arrogant. As she was walking however, she felt that someone was watching her.

Of course there are people watching you, Sophia! The whole country is actually! She chided, scolding herself for being too paranoid. Still, suddenly, she had an urge to look up on one of the balconies of the large palace and in one of them; she saw the silhouette of a young man.

The sunlight was obscuring her vision but still she notice that he had a bit of a tail behind his head, kinda like a ponytail, seeing as it flowed in the breeze quite noticeably. She felt the figure was staring at her and already she felt eerily pleasant chills run up and down her back. Wait, pleasant?

"Your Highness?" Maria asked, looking at her with her large almond eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes? I mean, Yes Maria, I'm fine" Sophia answered, smiling reassuringly at her maid. "It's just rather unseasonably warm weather here in England, no?" Okay, seeing things and now I'm talking about the weather…Pathetic

"Indeed, it is, Mistress" replied Maria, smiling while using the back of her gloved hand to cover her eyes.

Sophia chuckled but still her mind kept thinking, Who was that?

Nearing the entrance, she turned her around one last time and gave a small curtsy to the crowd before disappearing through the heavy doors. Upon hearing the doors close behind her, Sophia let out a small sigh of relief, placing a black leather clad hand on her chest, feeling the thundering of her heart. Okay I made it…Whoo that was seriously nerve-wracking…

"Your Highness, are you alright?" asked Maria, snapping the said blonde from her trance.

"Oh, uh, yes, I'm fine, Maria. Just a little fatigued from all the traveling. I'm lying…I've been through across the continent and I never once felt fatigued, she thought proudly. But of course I can't tell Maria I was actually, dare I say, nervous…

"Your Highness?" once again she snapped out her mid-thought and flinched this time when she felt Maria touch her shoulder in concern.

"Ah, yes, Maria, anyway, where's my room, I still need to prepare for meeting my grandmother, no?" said Sophia, smiling sheepishly at the worried maid.

Suddenly a maid appeared from behind, causing slight surprise in the young princess. "Excuse me, you're your Grace, but please allow me to escort both of you to your rooms," said the maid, giving a curtsy before smiling at the two. Sophia smiled back and said, "Yes, thank you."

Geez... I'm really getting a little jumpy today, she thought dryly, allowing herself to be escorted by the well-trained maid.

Meanwhile...

Grey was looking at the balcony when the princess arrived. Smirking as she descended the carriage, with a brunette maid, following her. Well at least she's a pretty, talented little girl, he thought smugly, looking at the slender form of the young royal.

She was pretty petite in height; her eye level meeting his shoulders. She had fair fine features, with a delicately full pink mouth and shiny golden blond hair, prettily curled by bright-tipped pins. Her creamy clear complexion was a contrast to her dark, deep blue eyes, lined with fan-like lashes. And like the typical princess, expected to be born from high social upbringing, she carried herself with poise, grace and elegance.

The princess was wearing a double-breasted crimson velvet jacket over a white ruffled blouse, tied by a black velvet ribbon at the collar. Along with a crimson silk skirt, over frilled black petticoats, black gloves and beribboned red heels with roses of a lighter red. On her head is a black beret with a red rose on it.

He continued watching her movements, how she smiled at some of the maids, occasionally nodding and finally curtsying before going inside the palace. He didn't know why but he felt a slight tug on the corner of his lips, causing a small smirk to appear.

Hmph! Okay she's another typical princess. Though not quite the typical-beauty, still I'll be the judge of that~, he though, wondering what the new princess is like. Maybe she'll be just like all the others. All pretty, dainty and just plain boring~, skimmed his mind, thinking about all the other princesses he had met and was completely un-impressed. Though she did notice him looking at her and that made him chuckle.

"Grey, her Highness is in her quarters now. It's our task to go and escort her to the Queen…" Turning around, he found Charles Phipps right behind him, as tall and silent as ever. Grey wasn't really surprised that he managed to sneak behind him, knowing perfectly well how quiet and subtle Phipps is (compared to him, at least)

"Right~" said Grey, getting up from his place but just as he was about get up from his place, his steely gaze caught something and it made him smirk, inwardly. "On second thought, Phipps…"

Phipps stopped in his track and turned halfway to meet his partner's eyes, he raised an eye when he saw the spreading smirk on the younger male's lips.

"Why don't you go on ahead~ I'll have to take care of something for her Highness~"

Later

"You think this is alright, Maria?" asked Sophia, looking at her dress in the large gilded full bodied mirror, then turning to view it from the back. She had just changed into an expensive silk gown she had just bought form Paris.

"Oh yes, Your Highness. You look stunning," chimed her maid, clapping her hands together as she took in mistress's slender frame clad in silk.

The dress was an off shoulder creamy gold silk with the bodice and edges of the sleeves lined with lace and creamy white roses. The matching skirt brocaded with golden roses and pale green leaves, with a slit in the middle, lined with lace, tied by an ivory white satin sash at the waist and revealing a lacy petticoat. She wore matching heels, a pearl necklace with a golden rose pendant, pearl earrings and a pair of white silk gloves, which reached to her elbows. Her gleaming hair was arranged in an elegant coiffed manner.

Sophia let out a shaky breath, as she thought of her grandmother. Seeing her powerful, yet beloved grandmother; Oh how she longed to see her again, feel her comfort again. The comfort she had not felt in 10 years of emotional solitude. Even to Maria, whom she had nearly considered like a sister, she couldn't convey her hidden feelings sadness and guilt at her parent's death.

Once again she was snapped out of her thoughts by Maria's voice, full of concern, "Your Highness, are you sure you're alright? You've been falling in long lapses of deep thought, ever since we arrived. In all honesty, it's really starting to worry me, My Lady."

Sighing, before glancing around to see if there was anyone else in the large rose and cream-colored bedroom. After all I can't have anyone else see me emotionally weak, she thought to herself, relieved of the solitude in her own bed chambers. She turned her cerulean orbs once again at her maid, who was standing in front of the double-doors that led to the balcony, meeting her almond-colored ones, who was staring back at her with a mixture of concern and question.

"Maria…I 'm just…I 'm…a shadow?"

At that the maid's brown eyes certainly widened at her mistress's answer, "You're highness…you're a what? A shadow?" Looking at Sophia right now, she was quite wondering because her indigo eyes weren't looking into Maria's but rather somewhere else. The wall, actually. And in that said wall was a shadow. A shadow…and it WAS GROWING.

Maria was too busy, staring at the unusual shadow that she didn't notice the figure outside, drawing closer and closer…until, BAM!

With that Maria found herself on the floor, her stomach facing the ground and she feels something pressing on her back, wincing, she looks behind her to see her mistress over her, covering her body from whatever nearly hit her. Then she remembered what happened, actually it was all too fast to remember but all she saw was a flash of light after a crash in the window, glass and splinters flying everywhere. Sophia had managed to get her out of the way and put herself over her as to prevent Maria from getting hurt.

"Y-Your Highness…" Maria looked with wide brown eyes, as Sophia groaned, before raising herself on her elbows. "Oh my word, Your Highness?! Are you alright?!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright…Maria," she replied, getting up before looking behind her to see who was the mental that had the gall to crash into her room.

There, on one knee, slowly standing up was a young man, about her age with shaggy gray (no pun intended) hair; one part behind him was left to hang down his mid-back. He wore an all-white ornately decorated uniform with an equally white tailcoat over it. At his belt was a rapier with an elaborate gold hilt.

He couldn't be an albino now, could he, Sophia though, taking note of his snowy hair but then he turned, showing her rather beautiful silver eyes with long lashes and was that…a smirk on his face.

Grey on the other hand, seemed rather amused at the sight he made. He just wanted to see the same reaction of Ciel Phantomhive's face, whenever he visited the Phantomhive manor, on her Highness's. He saw a pair of young women, one was the brunette maid, wearing a shocked reaction, and above her was the Princess Sophia, whose face was a mixture of shock, disbelief and a slight hint of annoyance. He couldn't hold back a smirk that began quirking up the corner of his lips.

Bowing low to the bewildered young royal, he lifted his head and grinned boyishly at the young woman, who was still gaping at him. He expected her to scream or just gape at him with her wide eyes. But he didn't expect what came next.

At first the Princess, walked up to him and looked at him warily before asking "Are you alright, Sir?"

His eyes widened at first bur he smiled cheerily and chirped, "Don't worry, your Highness, I'm just fine. Thank you for your concern." Still keeping that smile.

All he heard her say, "Good", but what she did, he really didn't' expect what came next.

The Princess Sophia, what he expected was a dainty, sweet and meek creature had just grabbed him by the collar with one hand and was now glaring at eye-level, his silver orbs meeting her cerulean ones. Grey just looked with wide eyes the pretty face of the princess, slightly pinched in sheer annoyance, eyes narrowed and with a rather angry frown on her pink lips.

"Of all the things to do?! You crash into a window?!" she snapped, using her free hand and arm to point at the broken window, for emphasis sake; Glass shards and gilded splinter, ranging in different sizes and lengths everywhere; not to mention the now torn rose-colored silk curtain.

"Oh…" was all he replied. Must be mad for messing up her room, he thought, blankly.

She raised an eyebrow, and gave him a glare; half annoyed, half questioning. "Oh? Is that all you can say?" she asked, annoyance clear in her tone. "I want you to apologize."

"Oh, yes, of course, I'm truly very sorry, Your Grace~" he drawled, still keeping that smirk on his face, which annoyed Sophia even more.

"I don't want you apologizing to me!" she said, still glaring at him, before this time pointing at the young maid, who was standing at the corner of her room. "I want you to apologize to her! What if you had gotten her hurt? What if I didn't push her out of the way?"

Well Grey was certainly surprised at that and that him more curious of the princess, who cared more about the safety of others rather than her lavishly expensive room. My so she's not some average little girl, huh? he thought, amused at the young princess.

"Well?" she inquired, looking at him, questioningly, a single golden brow raised. Once again his smirk got wider. What the hell is with that smirk of his?

"Well~…Your Highness, I could if I would~" his smirk, growing into a grin, his steely orb boring into hers.

"And why can't you?" temper nearly snapping at his nonchalant antics. This guy is seriously getting on my nerves!

"Maybe it's because Your Grace, still has her hands on my collar~" he cooed, a rather suggestive smirk going up his lips.

Sophia's eyes widened, and only then did he realize that she was still holding his collar, close to her face, their noses nearly touching but what really made her blush was the fact that his eyes were looking at her features rather appreciatively, finally stopping at her lips. With a smirk, he blew a small breath on her lips. That took it.

Abruptly she pushed him away from hers, slightly stumbling backwards but managed to keep her poise, face blushing to the roots of his golden hair, she definitely knew that her face was bright red and that smirk he gave her really wasn't helping ease her embarrassment.

Satisfied at the amusing reaction from the princess, he continued smirking at her for a few seconds, taking in the lovely blush gracing Sophia's cheeks (practically her whole face) and the look in her eyes, before giving him an embarrassed glare, only for it to look at the floor, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Grey then turned his attention to the maid, who was watching the whole scene.

Bowing low in apology, he smiled politely at the young brunette, "I'm truly sorry, Madam. I assure you it won't happen again." Maria just nodded and curtsied at the Earl.

"It better not…" muttered Sophia, crossing her arms over her chest, still glaring daggers at him, and still he turned to her with that goddamn smirk of his.

"Of course not, Princess~" he drawled, smirking when her faint blush began to grow, again. Still smirking, he bowed low, his hand over his chest before looking up to meet her gaze. "Anyway, My name is Charles Grey. Earl Charles Grey, to be precise," giving her a small wink which didn't go unnoticed.

Sophia's eyes widened slightly when he heard his name, "Earl…Grey?" she asked, dumbfounded. My beloved tea?! The tea that I drank so much and had proudly proclaimed as my favorite is named after this…this infuriating…Ugh!

"Yes, as you are aware the name of the 'Earl Grey' tea came from my family. It's a real pleasure to meet you, Your Highness~," he then gave her another suggestive look, making her feel heat in her face. "It truly is~."

"I wish I could say the same for you," she said, forcing a small smile, before giving him a curtsy. "Hello, Earl Grey. My name is Sophia Charlotte Katherine von Schweetz."

"Princess Sophia Charlotte Katherine Von Schweetz, remember~" Grey reminded, smirk still in place, emphasizing the word 'Princess'.

Sophia let out a sigh, "Yes, of course…"

Then there was that dreadful awkward pause which no one bothered to break. Sophia used that time examine Grey and try to see what was in his mind. I mean, he was just there standing, mocking her with his enigmatic-ness, as well as his smirk. Okay, she'll have to admit that he is quite…handsome.

Suddenly the door opened and in came the guards, along with a stoic-looking man, with platinum blond hair and amber eyes*, looking around and when he spotted Sophia, he bowed low, "Your Highness, we heard a large crash in your bedroom, did something happen?"

"Oh…well you see" Sophia was about to explain when Grey stepped forward and with his signature boyish face, he looked at taller male and immediately knew that they know each other,

"It's alright, Phipps. The broken window was my doing~" he said, like it happened regularly and judging from Phipps reaction, it seems so. She then heard Phipps mutter, "Well that answers my question…" looking at Grey again, she saw that he was still grinning, eyes closed in childish glee, only to turn back into a smirk upon noticing Sophia's gaze, which she removed again, lest she get stuck in another awkward situation.

Phipps again turned to her, his face serious as ever, "Your Highness, I' am Charles Phipps, please to finally meet you", said Phipps bowing low, his hand on his heart.

Sophia did a curtsy, and smiled politely at the taller Charles, "No, the pleasure is all mine, Sir Charles Phipps." Sophia caught Grey looking at her and held back a scowl at his grin. Phipps then turned to Grey and said, "And this is Charles Grey, my partner, Please let me apologize for his actions. I hope he didn't cause too much disturbance," glaring at the word 'too'. Grey only smirked.

Sophia bit back a frown from forming on her pink mouth, as she seethed a "No, just some," throwing a sideward glare at the young silver-haired man, still smirking knowingly, which made her even sourer but she didn't show it directly.

Phipps cleared his throat and announced "Her Majesty, the Queen requests your presence in the parlor of the west wing immediately."

"My grandmother…" said Sophia, feeling her hands go clammy from the insides of her silk gloves, the feeling of nervousness returning.

Phipps nodded before answering "Yes, You're Highness." Phipps led the way and she was about to follow when Grey appeared right in front of her, his black gloved hand outstretched, offering it to her. Giving him a glare she tried walking ahead of him, "No, thank you," she said, clearly annoyed.

But once again he was right in front of her turned to his side slightly; he offered an arm to her. His usual grim still in place, silver orbs twinkling with mirth. "I insist, your Highness. Allow me to escort you~" he said, a sly smile on his lips. But as annoyed as she is with him, she had but no choice but to comply.

Sophia then turned to Maria, who was now with two other maids, before saying "Maria, can you stay and unpack my luggage."

The maid simply curtsied and said "Yes, as you wish your Highness."

So letting out a sigh, she delicately laced her arm in his, still glaring at him, which he only answered with a smirk, again. With Phipps leading the way towards her Grandmother, neither Sophia, nor Charles Grey had any idea that from the moment their arms laced to the moment their eyes met, there was already a small invisible red thread connecting them to each other.

Hello, 2nd Chappy complete. You can expect not much from me cause I have a serious condition called 'Laziness' but don't worry I'll try to update as best as I could. Please Review~