So when I should be updating either one of my other continuous stories... Here I am, updating Magnificence again. LOOL

SORRY GUYS, I can't help it!

Probably sometime tomorrow I'll update One Way Ticket or The Deal, but for now, I wanna get into the real storyline for this fic. ;)


Magnificence

CH XIII; The Earls, Phantomhive and Trancy


"Father, may I ask you a question?"

Sorben, having been walking through the massive expanse that was the gardens behind the grand manor, looked down at his daughter and offered a smile.

"Of course," He stuffed his hands into his pockets out of habit. "You should know better than that," His eyes began to shine with fatherly affections. "You can ask your old man anything at all."

Aelia giggled softly before stopping beside a giant bush with glorious looking pink lily's. She knelt down and carefully plucked a fully bloomed one from it's perch and brought it up to her nose, inhaling deeply allowing the unique aroma to penetrate her senses deeply. She sighed in content with a smile on her face before turning to her father.

"What is it about Claude that you dislike?"

Sorben gave a mighty inner struggled to fight hard against the frown that wanted to drag the corners of his mouth downward. He had been secretly hoping Aelia would not pick up on his hesitation towards the man in question, as he could tell something was off.

His opinion of his newly appointed son-in-law had also shifted ever since his fated meeting with a certain Earl and his eternal demonic companion.

Sorben gave a convincing smile. "It's not that I don't like him," He paused and desperately ripped through his mind to formulate some sort of legible response to her question. "It's just that he isn't the first demon I would have allowed you to give your hand to."

Aelia blinked. "What do you mean by that, father?"

"Let me explain," Sorben drew in a deep breath to prepare for his speech. "What a male demon has a daughter, he withholds the right to choose her partner, or to allow his child to find a mate. If the latter of the decisions is made, the father is able to approve or disapprove of the suitor," He paused and noted the look of acknowledgement on Aelia's face. "As you may be thinking, it is indeed like a nobleman and an arranged marriage, but with much less rules to abide by."

"So is that why you don't like Claude?" Aelia pressed, wanting to dig deeper. "You don't approve of him?"

Sorben's brows knit together. "Again, I never declared that I dislike him, but I must be honest with the fact that I do not approve of him."

"Why?" Aelia's smile turned downward.

Aelia watched as conflict began to cross his pale face, allowing for a large pool of anxiety to ripple in the very pits of her stomach.

How could her father not approve of Claude? Surely he must know how kind her mate has been to her, even as he served her faithfully as her butler.

Sorben gave a weary sigh before running his fingers through the wild tresses of his dark hair. "How do I explain this without sounding unfair and without remorse."

The anxiety building in Aelia slowly began to grapple at her more frantically as she waited impatiently for her father to give her his answer.

"To put it simply," Sorben locked eyes with her is to intensify his point. "I do not trust him."

Before Aelia could inquire as to why, Sorben silenced her with a flash of his hand.

"I've known of Claude for a very long time Aelia," Sorben began. "He is known in my world as an apathetic, sadistic and cruel man. He is from a long line of spider demons, and in that line comes extreme aggression and a selfishness that cannot be contained."

Aelia allowed this new piece of information to cut through her and flow freely like a wound that would never heal.

She was no fool. Despite her trust in the former butler, she could see the signs. His impassive nature and how he would so ruthlessly deal with the situations Aelia would ask him to deal with was a red flag that warned her of his true nature. However, even in his ruthless demeanour, the spider demon had treated her with an uncanny gentleness Aelia had not thought possible. During the weeks following the murder of Samson, Claude had become more romantic in his advances towards her. He would often caress her cheek with a rare tenderness, or take her into an embrace during her weakest moments.

Aelia witnessed first hand both sides of the spider demon's personality, and willingly accepted it all.

"Father..."

"Let me finish Aelia," Sorben chuckled softly. "Despite the fact his... prestigious reputation is not one to be happy over, I have not failed to notice how much softer he has become since your union and with that, I will be giving him the benefit of the doubt."

At his words, a weight suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

There was a wave of comfortable silence that washed over the two as they continued their trek through the gardens. Sorben muddled in his own thoughts as he looked a head of him to see Aelia taking in all the different flower arrangements they passed by. He couldn't help but smile at the peaceful look on Aelia's face, the same that his dear Elizabeth gave to him when she was incandescently happy.

How he missed his beautiful angel.

A sudden thought crossed his mind, forcing his attention back to the conversation from the previous night when he had encountered the infamous Earl Phantomhive and his companion. To be honest, Sorben had been rather convinced that the Earl was clean off his rocker once he gave his piece and demanded a deal to be made.

Much to his dismay, Ciel requested that Sorben honor his half of the deal by handing over Aelia into Sebastian's custody with the promise that she would have protection from the spider demon. Despite the tempting offer that followed up with the details Phantomhive had laid out, Sorben refused to barter his daughter for the gain of another.

Sorben was an ancient demon with the bloodline of a royal. Simply put, he had faced others with the same greedy eyes as the newly transformed nobleman expressed deep within his oceanic mirrors. Many before Ciel had tried to tie themselves into the Urbana bloodline either through marriage or by dishonorable means. Whether it was a matter of gaining power over enemies or out of some whim of rare honesty of affection, those who were not compatible or chosen to honor the family name were given no chance.

A single woman with the will of fire had set the standard for the rules following the hundreds of years the Urbana family would fight to maintain their strong structure and firm rules. Zelina Urbana was a ruthless and powerful demoness that had not but one single purpose in her lengthy life, seeing it as her personal mission to uphold the balance between clans.

Sorben could clearly remember the demoness in startling detail. She was a tall woman with burning eyes that matched her untamable personality. She was independent and refused to take a mate, feeling the connection would only hinder what she was placed in the cruel world to do. Zelina was callous and void of expression to all those who apposed her and for those she cherished, they were given the rarity of seeing the sliver of warmth that would peak through her void. Sorben had been one of the few that had the honor of knowing Zelina as a kind and gentle woman.

It shocked him to note the similarities that his own flesh and blood shared with the fearsome Zelina Urbana, and it would be those similarities that attracted the attention of others hungry and lustful for power.

Ciel Phantomhive was not exempt from those urges.

Much like Aelia, Zelina had a unique compassion for those who gained her trust that had ultimately been her downfall.

She will be taken care of with the utmost respect and have the best protection one could offer. I can assure you that Sebastian will not fail.

Sorben watched Aelia with a somber expression as the thoughts coursing through his mind twisted and turned down the small path of temptation once more as he muddled over what the Earl had said.

Ah, so you wish to feed your curiosity after all. Very well, here is the deal: allow me to remove Aelia from the former Trancy estate and hold her in my custody. As stated previously, she will be in good hands as Sebastian is more than formidable and will handle all those who advance towards us in a threat. The part she will play will be further elaborated at another time.

The hidden meaning detected in his words sent chills tingling down the Urbana's spine. How the Earl continuously repeated himself on assuring the safety of his child with Sebastian unsettled him. There was also the fact that Ciel would not disclose his full reasoning for wanting to attain Aelia, but it would not take a fool to know it was either for power or simply for almighty greed.

"Excuse the interruption, but might I have a word with Miss Aelia?"

Sorben blinked and looked to his left, having been unaware of Claude's presence until now. Aelia turned to the spider demon and gave a bright smile, to which Claude returned with his own charming upturn of his lips leaving Sorben somewhat shocked.

"Of course," Sorben chortled. "She is your mate after all. No need to ask."

Claude eyed Sorben with suspicion clear in his piercing yellow orbs but made no move to question him, deciding to avoid a conflict while in front of Aelia.

Aelia walked up to the two and placed her hand on her father's arm giving him an affection squeeze before taking the hand offered by her mate and allowed Claude to walk her out of the garden. Sorben watched the two carefully before turning his attention forward once more.

Now alone, he allowed the thoughts buzzing through his head to consume him.


"Good morning, young master."

Ciel stirred from his slumber as the chipper voice of his ever faithful butler poured into his room. The boy muttered something softly as he sat up, carefully rubbing the sleep from his eyes before reaching for his eye patch. His oceanic blues soon landed on Sebastian as he left the trolley that had been pushed in from the hall and strolled over to the Earl's bedside. Ciel fastened the patch over the contract-sealed eye while Sebastian prepared his usual cup of tea.

"For this morning's tea we have a traditional Earl Gray blend," Sebastian announced as he prepared Ciel for his day, dressing him in his appropriate attire which consisted of a black blazer over top of a dark grey dress shirt that matched the black shorts and matching knee-high socks with garters.

Ciel eyed Sebastian with a bored expression. "What is my schedule for today?"

"You have an appointment with a gentleman who wishes to become business partners with the Funtom Company later in the evening," Sebastian relays. "As well as a two o'clock appointment with another gentleman who is also interested in becoming business partners, although his intentions are much less admirable."

"Of course they are," Ciel scoffed. "It is sad to think that morals and a man's pride can be swayed so easily by money."

Sebastian's eyes shined with amusement. "Are you sure it is not simply a human trait, young master?"

"Perhaps it is," Ciel mused.

Accepting the seemingly empty cup from Sebastian, Ciel brought the expensive china cup to his lips and took a long sip of the invisible substance within its confines. A small yet satisfied sigh escaped Ciel's lips before closing his visible eye.

"Has Sorben given any word as of yet?"

"I'm afraid not," Sebastian replied.

Ciel's lips curled into a small smirk as he finished off the contents of the tea cup. "He will."

"What makes you so certain?" Sebastian's brow rose at the over confidence the young Earl displayed.

Ciel's visible eye flashed a deep crimson before returning to its normal ocean blue.

"He may be a prideful demon, but we cannot deny the fact that our goals are both in common," Ciel began. "In the end, it will work out in both our favor."

Sebastian grinned knowingly. "Of course."


Claude walked Aelia down a long hallway that was unfamiliar to her. The two passed door after door until finally the taller of the two stopped at a rather gargantuan rosewood colored door. Aelia looked up at her companion with a quizzical look in her eyes.

"Where are we, Claude?" She questioned. "And why didn't I know this place was here?"

Claude looked down at Aelia. "This room belongs to my former master, Earl Alois Trancy."

"So, this is his bedroom?" Aelia felt her cheeks heat up at the thought.

The male demon stepped forward to wrap his hand around the handle. "No. This room, once a guest room, was altered upon request when the young master knew his demise was close."

Aelia tried to wrap her head around the information being thrown at her. "So before you consumed his soul, he had this room created?"

Claude paused and for a moment, Aelia caught a glimpse of the demon she had encountered when they first agreed to a contract. His yellow eyes flashed a brilliant and dangerous fuchsia before settling back to their normal warm, golden texture.

Clearly that was a topic that would not be up for a welcomed discussion.

"I'm sorry Claude," Aelia whispered softly. "It wasn't my place to bring that up..."

The elder demon glanced at her from the corner of his eye but said nothing. With an effortless flick of his wrist, the door was opened to reveal itself to pair outside. Aelia watched him and frowned but followed silently behind him.

As Claude made his way to the far left corner of the room, Aelia nearly jumped out of her skin once the elder demon spoke.

"Highness suffered a terrible fate worse than death," Claude declared. "Alois Trancy formed a contract with a demoness named Hannah Anafeloz, who before my meeting with the Earl Trancy had dealings with a young boy named Luka. The young master believed he was his younger brother."

Aelia watched him as he effortlessly lifted a beautifully designed navy plush chair into the air and set aside, revealing a bare spot on the wall. Her brow flew upwards. This hidden compartment certainly wasn't made to be concealed with a high level of secrecy, much like Claude's brief explanation and lack of disclosure for what the purpose of this room was.

"So these dealings Hannah had with Luka... Was it a contract?" Aelia surmised.

"Correct," Claude opened a small cupboard door to reveal what looked like a small unmarked chest. "Once their contract came to an end, Hannah consumed Luka's soul as per the usual agreement to any Faustian contract unless stated otherwise. When Hannah became employed as a maid under the Trancy household, she doted on the young master with intentions on reuniting the two."

Aelia frowned. "How tragic."

There was a gruff sound that escaped Claude's throat that reminded Aelia of a chortle, but she knew better. The man before her continued his work without meeting Aelia's eye.

"Hannah created the contract in order to save him from the fate of our contract," Claude finally spared Aelia a glance. "In doing so, she completed her goal of reuniting the two, successfully stealing the young master away from me."

Aelia caught the shameless tone of jealously laced in Claude's voice. She crossed the room with hesitation and reached out to touch his shoulder but his words halted her movement.

"Should you ever choose to form a contract with a desperate human, you will understand the animosity of another demon stealing another's food," Claude snapped the lock containing the chest with ease before standing up with the box in-hand.

Aelia felt a pang at her heart due to the heartless tone in his words.

"What's in the box?" Aelia inquired, taking a shot at changing the subject.

Claude walked passed her to set the unlocked chest down on a solid oak chest before turning to face her fully. For the first time since their abrupt meeting on the night their contract was formed, Aelia felt her blood run cold with fear. Fear of what Claude was capable of.

Claude seemed to detect this and advanced forward towards his mate, his eyes never leaving hers. She began to shrink back as he approached, until finally he was within an arms length away from the girl.

"Aelia," Claude's tone had an alarming amount of calm added to it. "Are you frightened of me?"

Hesitation.

He is known in my world as an apathetic, sadistic and cruel man.

Sorben's words cracked the thin layer of Aelia's opinion on Claude only slightly.

Extreme aggression and a selfishness that cannot be contained.

Claude drew in a deep breath and silently exhaled, reaching forward to touch her cheek gently. Aelia did not flinch under his touch as he anticipated she would, relieving him with the knowledge that she was not frightened, but in fact more intimidated than anything.

Aelia leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, raising her hand up to place over his own.

"I'm not afraid of you," Aelia sighed out. "I just... Forgot the type of person you are capable of being."

Claude surprised her by accepting her words as he leaned in to press a light kiss on her forehead.

"I will not lie to you to and falsely assure you of anything that is not true," Claude looked down at her.

Aelia gave a small smile. "I know."

Claude carefully studied her eyes. She is completely trusting of me despite the warnings in her father's words. The muscles at the corners of his mouth twitched. Perfect.

Aelia reached up to brush the hair that has fallen in front of his face.

The two remained in silence as they shared a meaningful gaze when Claude pulled away only to grasp her hand.

"Are you going to show me what's inside the box?" Aelia inquired with overflowing curiosity, following Claude as he led her to the desk.

"Of course," Claude released her hand and reached for the lid.

As crimson eyes watched intensely, Aelia could not help but tense with the feeling of what secrets may be revealed when the lid was finally opened. Was it a heart? Piece of human flesh? A weapon which held the power to slay a demon? Questions began to run through her mind at rapid speed, all the while causing an unnecessary headache.

Lifting it open, Claude cast her a brief look before setting his sights on the exposed set of rings.

Aelia eyed the two rings that were perched within the confines of the chest. Nestled between the vibrant white cushion sat a silver ring with what would have been a stunning dark blue diamond during it's better days and a gold ring adorned with several white jewels lining what looked like the outline of an eye with a dull red diamond being the iris. She also noted how similar the two pieces of jewelry were to her own.

It has another purpose.

"Rings?" Aelia looked up at Claude in confusion, her brows furrowing.

The demon's eyes were trained on the rings. "Day into night, creatures to corpses, and in this case, humans into demons."

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked back down at the two rings.

Did these belong to his former master?


Ahhhhh, sorry about the shitty ending to this chapter. LOOL

Yes, I know, the title has NOTHING to do with the actual chapter, but in a way it kind of does due to the reveal of those rings. ;)

IN OTHER NEWS:

I finally was able to walk away from my game after beating it, and decided to take a break before going straight into FFX-2. With that said, I am delighted to inform you all with this piece of useless information I'm sure none of you really are concerned about, and that is that I am now watching all of the seasons of House. Boring, right? Naw. ;)

Either way, in relations to the story, we got to hear Claude's summarized and altered version of the truth behind Alois' death.

Starting now we will be going into the real storyline, so I'm hoping to at least surprise a few of you.

I would love to hear comments about the story so far, or if any of you have any concerns about where this story is going. Please, feel free to voice anything at all! I love hearing from you all. :)

I loves you all sooooo much, and I shall see you in the next thing that I write! ;)

Tataa~