I feel so evil sometimes, but other times I think, how do you readers put up with my twists and turns. Alois Trancy is Selena's fiancee?! Yes, yes he is. I wonder how Ciel will take it...O.O


"Pleased to meet you, Alois," I said as I let him take my hand and lightly kiss it.

When he turned around to look at the gardens, I wiped it off on my dress. It just didn't seem proper or anything when it came from him. More like forced. I stepped up to him, psyching myself into thinking that Sebastian was going to save me if anything happened. Besides, his butler would step in right?

"Your garden is beautiful," I said as I looked across it and saw everything. It wasn't as emaculate as Ciel's but it was still awe inspiring.

There were different colors fo flowers all growing in neat patterns. Some of them formed a maze and at the far edge, there was a giant chess board. I instantly thought of Ciel. It was his favorite game and he was good at it. I looked at Alois, who I caught staring at me. It reminded me of that guy that kidnapped me the night I was marked.

"Thank you, I tried to create something as emaculate as my future wife, even though I never met her until now," he said.

I know I should take that as a compliment. There was something in those words that screamed lie. I smiled anyway, letting him know nothing was running through my head when there actually was something running through my head: how I was going to get the hell out of there in one piece.

"Shall we take a walk through the gardens?" he asked as he waved a hand toward the stairs that lead down to the gardens.

"Sure," I said as I let Alois take my hand and lead me down the steps and into the gardens.

I looked to the sun while we walked toward the garden maze. I was sure he knew the way since it was his estate. He smiled at me just as we stepped into it. I looked to the sky again. I wanted Sebastian to come early or for something to happen so I wouldn't have to stay for very long. That's what I want. Something about this boy seems-I don't know- cruel.

"I inherited this estate after I was found in a village and my parents died," Alois said as we walked through the maze.

"This is a lovely place," I noted as I looked around, trying to keep my eyes off the souless ones staring back at me.

"I'm glad the future lady of the manor likes it. I personally love it. It represents me and my past."

Shattered or perfect on the outside and a torturous chamber on the inside?

I smiled, unaware of what to say to him. I wanted to be with Ciel. I wanted to be safe knowing I knew who I was with and that if anything happened Sebastian would be there.

"Your past?"

I knew I shouldn't have said that, but anything to distract my future husband from noticing I'd like to be elsewhere.

"Yes, as I've said, Miss Selena..."

"Please, call me Selena. Just Selena like my family calls me. After all, we will be married when we are older." I tried to suppress the shudder as the words came out of my mouth.

Even when I said it, it seemed like a chore; like my life was already mapped out and I had no say in it. A girl cannot call off a betrothal but a Lord can. Part of me wanted to see if I could get him to call it off, the other part of me wanted to see if he would see we are unfit together and break it off.

"Selena," Alois said with a soft smile.

I smiled, trying to hide how uncomfortable I was around him.

As he went on telling me about everything about the estate he knew, I partially listened. I was more thinking about how I was going to tell Ciel I was engaged to someone like Alois. Ciel had a good judge of character just moments after meeting someone. I wondered what judgement he passed on me and Lizzy.

"Selena, you are nothing like I imagined," he said. "You're far more beautiful. Your hair shines in the sun and your beauty radiates far brighter than the sun ever will."

Something inside me told me he was lying and that he had practiced it before I even got there. It seemed far too rehersed and scripted. It was like I had heard it before from someone.

Just as we exited the maze, his butler approached us. He waited until we were up the other side of the stairs before he even tried to speak.

"Your highness," he started as he bowed. "Lady Selena's carriage is here to take her home."

Damn, he seemed more of a suck-up than Sebastian will ever be. But, hell, why should I care? Sebastian might have read just my mind on picking my up earlier!

We made our way to the carriage at the front of the manor and Alois stopped me before I got into the carriage.

"Selena, wait," he said as he pulled me back down from the step I was on.

I stopped and turned to him when he tugged at my hand. "Yes, Alois," I said as I tried not to look him directly in the eye or brood on his moment of immaturity.

"I'd love to see more of you," he said. "You and I will grow to love each other more. I just know it." I don't think what I was feeling was love for him.

I smiled at him, then turned my head into the carriage. Sebastian was waiting for me.

"Thanks, Alois," I said. "I still have to go for now. My butler is waiting for me."

Alois looked in. Almost instantly as Alois saw Sebastian, I felt his hand tighten on mine. I looked at him. He looked upset by something. I brought his face to look me in the eyes, trying to ease the tightening grip on my hand and migrating to my wrist.

"Alois, I'll see you as soon as I can, don't worry about me," I said smoothly, trying to get him to loosen his grip and let me go with calmer nerves. He tightened it for a second, letting all the blood stop going to my hand and pool where his hand was around my wrist.

He slowly let go of my wrist and let me get the rest of the way into the carriage. I waved one last time at him before the carriage took off and I could breathe again.

"How was your first visit to your betrothed?" Sebastian asked when I stayed silent and kept looking at my wrist where Alois gripped it the most and tightly.

"Different," I started, trying to think of the perfect word for it. I stared at the light bruise forming into a handprint on my wrist. "Nothing like I thought."

"How so?"

I sighed. "For some reason, it wasn't sincere like the butler and Alois wanted it to be. It seemed dangerous and nothing like the Phantomhive manor."

Sebastian was silent until he said, "What was his butler's name?"

"Claude," I said. "Alois talked about him a lot."

"There does seem to be something troubling you, Lady Selena," Sebastian said when I returned to my wrist, literally watching it slowly get darker. I gently placed my hand over the bruise, letting his touch slowly fade and pray that Ciel doesn't see the bruise.

"It's Alois, there is something off about him, but I can't put my finger on it. There is something about him that's a lie, and something that seems as fake as the sincerity in his voice."

"I'm sure it's nothing, Lady Selena," Sebastian said as he gave me a warm smile.

I sat back, feeling more comfortable as we got farther and farther way from the Trancy estate and closer and closer to the Phantomhive manor.

"Sebastian, does Ciel know who I am betrothed to?" I asked as I looked into his demon eyes. I knew he couldn't lie to me.

"He knows you'll be betrothed to someone sooner or later," he started.

"Not what I meant," I said.

"He does know who exactly you are related to. However, Lady Selena, he doesn't know who you're betrothed to." Meaning, no one has told him the name, but he knows I would have been betrothed to someone before too long.

"I don't think I should tell him, then," I said as I sat back in the seat.

"That might be for the best now," Sebastian said. "Earl Trancy and Young Master aren't on the best of terms right now."

For some reason, it made me feel better. I knew that if anything were to happen with me, Ciel would be to my rescue with Sebastian, ready to strike at mine or Ciel's command. I sighed with relief knowing that my safety isn't in danger and only Alois's. I closed my eyes for the moment letting that comforting thought soothe my nerves.

"Lady Selena, would you like to join Young Master for dinner this evening?" I opened my eyes when I heard his voice.

I looked at Sebastian and smiled. Seeing Ciel would be the only thing that would put me at ease enough to sleep. Ciel, since he was the Queen's Guard Dog, would protect me from any evils that came in front of me. Knowing Sebastian was a demon, would make me feel even better.

"Of course, Sebastian, I would love to join Ciel for dinner tonight when I get back," I said. I would love nothing more than to end my day with Ciel.

The only thing I wanted to do now was tell Ciel the truth and beg for him to help. I saw the way Alois saw Sebastian and tightened on my wrist. Something happened between them and now I am determined to figure it out what exactly it was.


Ciel didn't say much when I got back after meeting Alois. I doubt he knew I was there. What was still bugging me was Alois's hand on my wrist when he saw Sebastian. Just before dinner that night I asked when the servants and Ciel weren't around.

"Sebastian, have you met Alois before?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.

Sebastian was silent.

"Sebastian, this is an order," I said, for a moment feeling like Ciel, "answer me."

He sighed lightly, perhaps I reminded him of Ciel for that instant as well. "I have seen him before, Lady Selena."

I stood there in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it appropriate to tell you," he said. He saw my displeased face. "I apologize I kept it from you, Lady Selena."

I sighed, having thought about our encounter since I had returned. "I don't know about him, Sebastian. There is something about him I don't like the more I think about it."

"How much have you thought about it?"

"Enough to become more uneasy than after I left him in the carriage when you picked me up." I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to ease my nerves and think about something else that's been on my mind.

"My, that is a long time to think about things," he said with a slight smile.

"No kidding," I said. I finally built up the rest of my courage to ask him. "Sebastian?"

"Hm?"

"Where am I marked? If I am correct, you and I have a contract, and you marked me, letting other demons, and the like, know I'm marked."

"Correct."

"So, where exactly did you mark me? I know you marked Ciel's eye." It was the only thing that would explain his eye patch.

Sebastian slyly smiled again. "One of my more handier jobs," he muttered. Then he looked up to me, making sure he was looking me stright in the eye. "I thought you knew, Lady Selena."

"Knew what?"

"Why, your shoulder is marked. Why do you think it stung when you got up the morning after we made the contract?" I glanced toward my right shoulder as he went on. My gaze went back to him fully. "It looks like a scar. A somewhat deep, noticiable scar and it binds me to you."

I knew from the book I used to read all the time at home that the more noticable the demon's mark is that the more the demon and the person are bonded to each other. If Ciel takes off the eye patch, everyone could see the demon's mark. Mine just looks like a scar. A scar with the devil's symbol on it.

"Why my shoulder?"

"I was going to mark you above your heart but you moved at the last minute, remember?"

It was instantanious. I was transported back to that gala and pleading with Sebastian to save Ciel at the cost of my soul. Just before he marked me, I turned away, covering Ciel from what Sebastian had to do. He marked my shoulder since it was closest.

"Yes, Sebastian, I remember," I said as I bowed my head. I vaguely wondered why he would have chose above my heart as a place to mark me.

I started for the door just as Sebastian spoke. I stopped when he said, "Lady Selena, how did you know I was a...?"

"Sebastian," I said with a smile. "No butler I've ever seen would be anywhere close to you. You are peerless in every way. I have to admit, there were little hints here and there. But I couldn't have figured it out without that book I love reading."

"You are a smart girl, Lady Selena," he said as he turned back to whatever he was doing before I interrupted him. It was hard to believe he worked around me as I asked my question. "That could be your downfall in the end."

"Yes, but you'll be there, ready for the end," I said as I walked out the door, finishing my sentence in my head, ready to feast on my soul.