I do not own anything except Veronica Shadows, her family, and Daiki Sakamoto.
"What did she say?"
"Did that girl just call her Majesty, Aunt?"
"Who does that girl think she is to call her Majesty just a familiar title?"
The hall erupted into hushed conversation as the shock wore off. I looked at Veronica and saw as her eyes narrowed to slits as she straightened up from her curtsy. Daiki leaned over to her and whispered something to her; what ever it was made her calm down some. She took a breath and reopened her eyes.
"May I present her majesty's niece, Veronica Shadows, daughter of Alexander Shadow, brother to the late Prince Albert," Ash spoke as he stood on several steps above the queen. "As the queen's only blood family, Princess Veronica is the next heir to the throne."
I looked at Sebastian and he was staring at Veronica with a stoic expression. I looked back at her and she was staring at the wall across the room, her face empty of emotion. She let go of Daiki's arm and held out her arm for the queen and led her across the room to her throne.
"My, my, Veronica doesn't look happy, does she?" Sebastian spoke quietly and I internally nodded.
"She's doing well at not loosing her temper or control," I replied and he nodded. "Do you think we'll have any problems with her loosing control?"
"Yes, we will," Daiki spoke as he came over to stand by us. "She had several outbursts on the way here and the trip ended taking about three hours instead of the twenty minute travel."
"Oh dear, this will be a long night," Sebastian sighed and Daiki nodded in agreement.
"It is only a matter of time; I give it about a half hour before she explodes again."
I looked around the great hall and saw that many of the people there stared at me like I was some intruder, like I didn't belong. I looked around and caught sight of Ciel, Sebastian, and Daiki stood at the other side of the room as I sat on the throne to the right of Victoria. A blond haired girl appeared next to Ciel and they started to talk. Soon, Ciel led the girl onto the dance floor and they started to dance. I narrowed my eyes at them before looking away sadly.
'Have I come to have feelings for the Phantomhive lord?' I though sadly as I looked around the room as couples danced and saw their happiness. I got to my feet and excused myself from Victoria before walking towards one of the sets of double doors that led outside. As soon as I was outside, I started running down the stairs towards the large maze. I felt my cheeks wet with tears as I dashed into the maze.
"Mistress!" I heard Daiki's voice call out to me but I kept running. When I reached a large water fountain, I stopped and collapsed to my knees near the fountain's edge and gripped the grass beneath me. "Milady, what is wrong?"
I knelt behind Veronica and wrapped my arms around her as a whimper came from her as she shook. I felt something wet hit my hand and turned Veronica around and saw tears falling down her cheeks as her half-lidded eyes stared at the sky. She didn't try moving as I shifted her in my arms, as if she was broken.
"Milady, what has happened?" I whispered. "What has broken your spirit?"
"Another has his heart…" I barely understood her soft voice as she cried. "Another makes him happy…"
"Are you talking about the Earl Phantomhive that has taken you into his care?" she nodded as her eyes closed. "So you have come to care for him?"
"Take me back to the hotel," she whispered as she turned her head so it was resting against my shoulder.
"Of course, my mistress," I replied and pulled her into my arms as I stood up. I hurried out of the maze but stopped when I saw Sebastian standing at the top of the stairs that led to the great room. I walked past the stairs and Sebastian jumped down to meet me in the shadows of the orchards. "Who was the woman dancing with your master?"
"His betrothed, Lady Elizabeth. Is Veronica okay?"
"She is just tired and fell asleep," I spoke as I felt veronica's hand tighten as she gripped the back of my suit jacket. I couldn't alert Sebastian of what she had recently realized herself.
"Is the something the matter?" Sebastian asked, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at Veronica. "Did something happen when Veronica ran out?"
"No," I whispered but nodded my head, hoping that he'd understand the message I was trying to send.
"Very well," Sebastian spoke solemnly. "I will notify my young master that Veronica hasn't been feeling well and you took her to the hotel to rest."
I watched as Daiki walked off with Veronica in his arms and sighed, knowing that he had tried to tell me something but I knew that Veronica had still been awake. I walked back inside as the song ended and Ciel and Elizabeth finished their dance. They walked over to get a drink from the refreshments table as Ash came towards me.
"Sebastian, did you see the young princess?" Ash asked as he stopped in front of me.
"Her bodyguard, Daiki has taken her somewhere to rest. She hasn't been feeling well today," I replied and he nodded.
"I will inform her majesty of this," Ash bowed then walked off.
"Sebastian," Ciel's voice reached me and I looked over to where he was standing with Elizabeth and he had his visible eye locked onto me.
"Master," I bowed as I appeared next to him. "Is something the matter?"
"Where did Lady Veronica go?" Ciel asked as he turned to fully face me.
"Daiki took her back to the hotel to rest. She wasn't feeling well."
"Who is Lady Veronica?" Elizabeth asked.
"The queen's niece has been staying at the Phantomhive Manor for the past couple weeks," I replied as Ciel drank his tea. "She is a very adventurous young woman."
"What is the heir doing living with my Ciel?" Elizabeth demanded.
"No one knew she was the heir until Ash had brought her to my manor. She had been injured and when she woke, that was when we learned who she was. Lord Shadow had kept Veronica hidden from society because he didn't want her to have to deal with the publicity of being the only heir to the throne," Ciel spoke calmly. "I have only been making sure that she gets what she needs since her family and home have been completely destroyed in a manner similar to how my parents died, they died when her house caught fire. She only has her majesty left and she refuses to accept the fact that she is the queen's niece."
"Oh," Elizabeth spoke quietly as she sat down at a table.
"Let us not dwell on sadness this night," Ash spoke as he appeared next to me with a smile on his face. "This is a party, is it not?"
"You are right," Elizabeth spoke as she looked up and smiled.
"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me Lady Elizabeth?" Ash asked the blond girl and she smiled and stood up. She let him lead her away and he nodded towards me.
"What is really going on Sebastian?" Ciel whispered as he stood next to me.
"I'm not really sure," I sighed. "Daiki came out of the maze with Veronica in his arms. He tried to tell me something but Veronica was still awake so I think that there is something wrong with Veronica. Her cheeks were wet from tears."
"She was crying?" Ciel frowned at me and I nodded. "I didn't ever think of her as the type that would cry."
"As soon as we arrive back at the hotel, I'll see what I can figure out. I believe that Daiki will be willing to talk as soon as Veronica is resting."
"Very well, inform me of what you find out," Ciel spoke as the next song ended.
"Yes, my master," I bowed as he walked across the room to talk to a few businessmen. "I only hope that Veronica is well. You haven't seen the way she looks at you Ciel, if only you weren't blind to those of the light. You are still in the shadows; you have a lot to learn before you can take the last step into the light."
I watched as Veronica rolled over in her sleep, her black locks framing her small face. Her pale skin was glowing in the moonlight that came through the open window and her mouth was slightly parted as she took a deep breath. I pulled the blankets back over her shoulders before walking over to the balcony as Sebastian landed on the railing.
"Sebastian," I whispered as he stood next to me and stared at Veronica as she slept.
"What were you trying to tell me at the palace?" Sebastian spoke quietly. "Why was Veronica crying?"
"She is falling for your master," I whispered and saw his eyes widen in surprise. "When she saw his betrothed dancing with him, she realized that she had feelings for him. She disappeared into the maze because she saw that another had his heart, another that could make him smile. She loves the young earl."
"Oh dear, things have become entertaining," Sebastian smirked. "He has ordered me to tell him what I find out about why Veronica wasn't feeling well. Now for this development to come to his attention, it will be interesting on how he takes this news."
"It will be interesting indeed," I whispered and looked back at the sleeping girl as she rolled onto her side, facing away from the window. "Are you going to tell him tonight?"
"Yes, I'll tell him when I bring him his nightly tea before he retires."
"Wish I could see how that goes," I smirked. "His reaction is sure to be entertaining to see, if he does react."
"Indeed, please enjoy the rest of your night Daiki," Sebastian smirked before disappearing from the balcony.
"I hope he'll return the feelings you have for him, my mistress," I whispered as I looked at the young girl as she slept. "I wish you the best happiness and if he returned your feelings, I'm sure you would be treated like the princess you are."
"I don't know about that Daiki," Veronica's quiet voice made me flinch slightly and I focused on her face as she rolled onto her back and looked at me. "We still have to deal with Shadow's Arch as well as the Angel of Death. I should have known that someone of Ciel's stature would already have a betrothed. He's from a high class family and I'm sure of the fact that his parents must have arranged his future wife from the moment he was born."
"Don't lose hope now, my mistress," I whispered as I walked over to the bed and knelt next to its edge. I took one of her hands in both of my own as I looked down at her. "Hope is one of the best things that humans have created to help them through hardships. If you give up hope now, then you might as well have let our enemy win. I won't let you give up just because you are rationalizing everything. You have to keep fighting; you will get to have your chance to have a normal life after we finish this mission."
"I sure hope so, Daiki," Veronica whispered as she closed her eyes and tightened her hand inside mine as she went back to sleep.