Aria sighed deeply as the vulture of a woman circled her like a piece of recently dead meat. They had been like this for several hours now. Elizabeth had insisted Aria be made to look absolutely "cute" for the party, and she'd left specific instructions with the hag who now circled the impatient Seraph. Aria didn't know what else the woman could possibly put on her face or in her hair…or under her dress…She found most human clothing to be hot and itchy, but this was pure torture. Under the twelve petticoats she wore, there were another two layers before you got to the undergarments. Not to mention this corset thing…Aria could barely breathe at all.

"Don't look so glum, dear," the woman screeched in a snooty voice, the fat rolls under her chin jiggling with each syllable, "You will never attract a gentleman with a look like that on your face…with a face like that you need everything working in your favor…" Aria had no idea how beautiful she was by human standards. Until now, it hadn't mattered, but something in the woman's voice told her that last phrase was not a compliment.

"Now…I believe we have accomplished a thing or two," she sighed dismissively, turning Aria toward the mirror for the first time. The girl gasped in astonishment at what she saw.

~#*DS*#~

In the foyer downstairs, Ciel, Sebastian, and the rest of the servants waited expectantly. They had been informed that Aria would be ready shortly, and were all preparing to depart. Ciel and Sebastian were dressed to the nines as guests at the party, while the other servants were coming along to help serve.

Suddenly, the vulture woman appeared at the top of the stairs. Sebastian didn't like her. She had looked on the entire estate with dissention, and that was an insult to Sebastian as head butler. He found her to be an overly self-indulgent being, and therefore, disgusting. He'd only just had time to remember his distaste when the reasoning for the woman's irritating chatter was revealed.

There was a cumulative gasp across the room as Aria immerged from around the corner and began her descent to the first floor. Even the young master's jaw had dropped several inches at the sight. Sebastian felt a strange shiver go up his spine when her emerald eyes flickered to his position.

Aria was absolutely stunning. Her short, blonde hair was smoothed down in the front and left to curl of its own free will in the back. On one side, the front was pulled back with an intricate flower comb. Pearl beaded strings hung from the comb and also laid in rows along the other side of her head, accenting the natural flow of her hair.

Even though this was a masquerade ball, Elizabeth had left strict instructions not to cover Aria's face with a mask. Instead, one was painted in gently flowing tones of blue around her eyes. Gem stones and a shining powder had been carefully placed in the paint as an accent.

Around the girl's neck was a black choker with a large sapphire in the center, as well as a silver sapphire and diamond necklace that hung in layering strings to the top of her breasts. Diamond and sapphire earrings matching the necklace ornamented the girl's ears.

Aria's dress was of matching tones to the mask. The short, ruffled sleeves met in the back at the base of Aria's neck. Her back was exposed except for a thin, silk tie that wove back and forth to the right and left. The front held an intricately beaded black pattern just below her bust line and another larger one at her waist. Below the bottom pattern, the skirt bloomed like a sapphire blue rose. The fabric was gathered into ruffles at the sides and back, but in a subtle fashion that suited the slender girl. The front was a series of delicate layers.

As the beautiful Seraph neared the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian tore his eyes away and took a subtle, steadying breath before striding forward to assist Aria to the floor. The girl lowered herself into a deep curtsy before Ciel, her face turned to the side. Ciel placed a finger under her chin, turning her gaze to meet his. He looked her over for a moment before nodding with a smile.

"You look beautiful. More than worthy to represent the women of the Phantomhive estate," he bowed to the vulture woman to show his appreciation. Said vulture woman was now standing off to the side, arms crossed over her massive bosoms in distaste as the room fussed over Aria.

"Miss Aria, you look just lovely, yes you do!" Mey-Rin squealed.

"What she said," Bard rubbed the back of his head, blushing. Finny was speechless. He just stood with his hat in his hands and a goofy grin on his red face. Tanaka offered her a white rose as she passed by, kissing his cheek as she went.

"You are magnificent, my friend," Snake took Aria's hand and kissed it, "Say's Oscar." Aria hesitated before hugging the scaly boy.

Always wanted to hug someone, Aria thought.

"Thanks," she smiled.

The last in the line, having made his way around the edge of the crowd, was Sebastian. He offered her his hand, his face covered by a black mask. She took it, and felt herself being tugged out the door to the carriage where Ciel already waited. After the rest of the servants had piled into the smaller carriage behind Ciel's, the group was off for the Midford home.

When they arrived, there was no doubt in anyone's mind who had been in charge of the decorating.

"It seems Lady Elizabeth has gotten everything she wanted this night," Sebastian marveled at the volume of pink that covered the estate.

"Here we go," Ciel hopped out of the carriage when Snake opened the door. "Bardroy, find the head butler here and see how you can be of service." With that, the young man headed up the staircase and into the house to find Elizabeth.

"Are you not going to accompany him?" Aria looked to Sebastian in confusion. The butler smiled at her.

"Not tonight," he said softly, "Tonight, by order of Lady Elizabeth, I am a guest. My orders are to accompany you." His voice caused Aria's stomach to flip. "And I could not have asked for a more exquisite beauty to escort this night."

Aria blushed intensely as Sebastian placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her into the house.

As hard as it was to believe, the inside of the house was more pink than the outside. As even most of the guests wore pink in honor of Lady Elizabeth's favorite color, Ciel, Sebastian, and Aria stood out like sore thumbs. Both Aria and Ciel were dressed in shades of blue while Sebastian wore a black tuxedo with blue accents and a mask that matched Aria's painted one…by order of Lady Elizabeth herself, of course.

"Sebastian, everyone's staring," the shy girl clutched the butler's arm with both hands like a security blanket.

"As they should be," the corner of Sebastian's lips drew into a half smile, "I told you I could not have asked for one as beautiful as you to escort tonight. I never lie, remember?"

"I think it has more to do with the color Elizabeth chose for us," Aria looked around nervously. She felt Sebastian's chest move against her arm in a soft chuckle.

"If that is what you wish to believe," he whispered.

"MISS ARIA!" a voice among the crowd squealed in delight. Elizabeth dashed over to where Sebastian and Aria were standing. "You look SOOOO cute! Just like I pictured! Didn't Bernice do just wonderfully with her, Sebastian?"

"That, she did, My Little Lady," Sebastian bowed to her. Aria curtsied, causing Elizabeth to be lost in a fit of giggles.

"You made it just in time!" Elizabeth clapped her hands, "The dancing's about to begin!"

Lizzie ran off. Sebastian, with Aria's permission, went to survey his handiwork as Ciel and Elizabeth would have the first dance. Most of the party-goers drifted to the dance floor, and Aria took advantage of the chance to slip to the corner of the room near the servants' door. She whispered to a young server as he was heading back through the swinging door. Soon, Mey-Rin's head poked out, and Aria breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mey, I'm dying," Aria whispered frantically, "I can't breathe, and I don't know if it's because being the center of attention has never been my strong suit or from the lack of lung capacity in this corset."

"Oh, dearie," Mey-Rin giggled, "don't you worry. You couldn't be more beautiful if you tried, an' jus' remember, it'll be over in a few hours…then you'll be able to breathe again, yes you will."

Aria sighed as best as she could considering the little space her ribcage had to expand.

"I can't do this," she shook her head desperately, "obviously Lizzie set me up to stick out like this…I've never been in this position! My function in life has ALWAYS been to direct attention to someone besides myself. I don't think I can take this much more."

Behind them, a beautiful song had begun to play, soft and slow, but Aria was too frantic to notice.

"You're doin' just fine Miss—" Suddenly Mey-Rin threw her hands over her mouth with a slight gasp.

"Mey?" Aria stepped forward to assist the girl, but Mey-Rin only pointed behind her, revealing a wide smile that had come up behind her hands. Confused, Aria turned. What she saw there made her release a tiny gasp of her own.

"Sebastian?" the butler knelt before the Seraph, hand over his heart, looking down.

"Miss Aria," he looked up, his piercing crimson eyes showing through his midnight blue mask, "May I beg you for the honor of a dance?"

~#*DS*#~