A Soul's Tourniquet
The Indian Prince
Shadows:Uwah~~~~~! GOMENASAI, GOMENASAI, GOMENASAI! Please forgive me for the two week hiatus! I've been soo busy with school crap that I haven't had the time to even work on ANYTHING story wise. And the worst part is is that I'm still failing English T^T. I will promise one, if not two more chapters for tomorrow to get myself caught up with updates. Remember that I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any character's affiliated with the series. All rights belong to Toboso Yana. I only own my OC's.
Please review after the story. It would really mean a lot to me.
KAISHI
Staying at the London townhouse felt like a much needed break from the usual gloomy atmosphere of the Manor. Sebastian had allowed the three clumsy servants as well as Benjamin and Rebecca to come along, not wanting to return to a decimated estate after Ciel's business in London was taken care of.
Granted that the two teens were the least of his worries and could possibly care for the manor themselves, Ciel had insisted that they all went to the town house.
The demonic butler sighed internally, glancing out the window as he passed by. The humans appeared to be having fun playing in the newly fallen snow. Finny was running around the yard, happily twirling every few steps. Mey-Rin was attempting to make a snowman. Bard was packing rocks into the snowballs he made; no doubt that someone was going to get injured if one was thrown. Rebecca and Benjamin were working together in making what looked like a snow fort, glancing over to the ex-soldier every so often.
Sebastian shook his head. The fact that humans could find entertainment from the crystallized water droplets was one thing he couldn't comprehend. Of course, it was also for this reason that he found humans to be ever-lasting sources of entertainment for creatures such as himself. At least to some extent.
Looking away from the sight outside, Sebastian returned to his current task at hand.
Rebecca and Benjamin worked as quickly as they could, gathering snow, piling it atop the miniature wall they had already resurrected and packing it together.
Bard did say that he wanted a snowball fight. Of course, both teens noticed almost a tad too late that when the Phantomhive chef means 'snowball fight', he means adding rocks into the snow and ice mixture.
"I haven't done this sort of thing since I was nine." Rebecca smiled, deciding that the silence between her and the dirty blonde male was a bit too much for her. The silence had left the teen to her thoughts and her thoughts had been all on Sebastian since the evening before. If she kept thinking about what she saw, there was a chance she would say something. There was also the possibility that whatever it was she had seen was just a trick of the mind considering that it was rather dark in the kitchen. The last thing the ebony haired teen wanted was to look like she was going mental.
"Don't think I ever 'ad th' chance ta do this sorta thing. Not a lot o' places in Kingston fer kids ta play really." Ben admitted, continuing to pile up the snow.
Rebecca nodded in understanding. Middle class homes didn't have yards like the upper class town houses and Manors had.
Both teens continued with constructing their fort, talking about random things from their childhoods, pausing from their project and chat when they heard snow crunching under heavy footsteps. Looking up, they were greeted by Ciel and Sebastian as the two approached them.
"Benjamin, Sebastian and I have to go into town on a request from Her Majesty. You will be in charge until our return." The young Phantomhive stated.
"Reet*." Ben nodded, not realizing that the Earl had only addressed him.
"Rebecca, you will be accompanying us." Ciel smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Ah! Y-yes, sir!" The female stuttered, slightly caught off guard by the boy's request. Rather, his demand. Though his order surprised her, Rebecca HAD noticed the mischievous glint in the bluenette's eyes. And from the way Sebastian had looked at his young Master, he had noticed it as well. Standing up, Rebecca brushed off what snow had accumulated on her trousers while making the snow fort and gave a curt nod to Ciel, though she was reluctant to be anywhere near the black clad butler at the moment.
"Winter—In Great Britain, it is an ashen season covered by thick, heavy clouds. With the Jack the Ripper case resolved, the hum of daily life returned to London. That peace, however, proved but a brief respite—"
Civilians looked on in the large group that had accumulated in front of the "Watson Café" as Scotland Yard surveyed the damage.
Several men, bound and only clothed in their undergarments, hung from the café sign by their feet. Each adorning a letter with the all too familiar insult written for all to see. Officers of Scotland Yard stood in front of the growing crowd, shouting for everyone to step away from the crime scene and move on while other's asked what exactly had happened.
"There occurred a curious incident in which Anglo-Indians frequenting the Hindustani coffeehouse near Portman Square were attacked, stripped, and hung upside down from the roof. Afterwards, in a rash of similar incidents, Aristocrats and Military Personnel who had returned from India were likewise assaulted all over London. The same notice was affixed to all of the victims—
'Watch this wild, pathetic child of sloth and depravity. England is the Motherland of the Devil, who robs off everything and forces its worthless, rotten, and ignorant culture on you instead! To all the idiots of the bitch-ruled land, you are the ones who deserve the vengeance of Heaven!'
"—so it said."
Scotland Yard's Commissioner, Lord Randall glared at the paper heatedly. The insignia at the bottom of the page, to him, was meant as a clear insult to all of Great Britain and its people. "ANOTHER INCIDENT! THIS IS THE TWENTIETH ONE!" Randall hissed, crushing the note into a wrinkled mess. "Haven't you been able to arrest the perpetrators yet, Abberline!" The older male growled, turning his anger towards the Yard's Chief Inspector, Fred Abberline.
"Sorry, sir!" The brunette male apologized. He knew that the Commissioner was still fuming from the Jack the Ripper case.
"We let Jack the Ripper slip though our fingers, and the bloody brat snatched away our glory…"
"Ohh, Do forgive me for being a brat." Ciel smirked. It wasn't surprising to him that Lord Randall found him a nuisance. Scotland Yard and the Phantomhive Earl's tended to not see eye to eye. Especially when the Underworld began surfacing into "Polite Society."
"Earl Phantomhive!" Randall flinched, slightly startled at the boy's sudden voice.
"You, Boy! How did you get in here!" Abberline yelled, stopping his advance towards the bluenette when Lord Randall held out a hand in front of him.
"Earl Phantomhive… Why are you here!" He demanded.
"Ha! I should think that would be obvious. I've come to clean up after the bumbling hounds." Ciel smirked, snatching the case file out of Abberline's hands.
"WHA—!"
"I see. Only Anglo-Indians have been targeted in this case. And there don't appear to be any casualties as of yet."
"WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO—!" The older male shouted angrily, only to be cut off when Ciel held up an envelope with the Royal Family's crest imprinted on the seal.
"I would not be here if mere bandits were to blame, but… I cannot rightly sit by as the Royal Family continues to be insulted." Ciel explained, handing the letter that was placed in the case file to Rebecca.
The teen took the paper without a word and quickly glanced at it, her eyes instantly drawn to the insignia at the bottom of the paper. 'A tongue?' She mused to herself before handing it over to Sebastian. Though the thought of actually helping Ciel with issues involving the Underworld was slightly appealing, Rebecca really wanted nothing to do with it. So, what had been the Earl's reasoning for bringing her along?
"I say, 'Child of sloth and depravity' is a wonderfully accurate expression on the part of our culprit. I'd have to agree that this country would be marginally better off without the Indian Nabobs." The young Phantomhive admitted.
"The British Indian Empire. At the time, masses of Englishmen lived in the British colony of India. The third and fourth sons of well-to-do families, who could not live in luxury in their homeland… were able to live the elegant lives of 'noblemen' in India. Those who returned from India were called 'Anglo-Indians,' and… the many who were unable to shed their lifestyles of extravagance and idleness even after their return were known as 'Indian Nabobs.'"
"Even if they wallowed in base amusements while in India and are cowards who single-mindedly squandered their fortunes, many of them are members of the British Gentry. We MUST protect them!" Randall defended.
'I can't help but wonder if he himself is an Indian Nabob. Seeing as how he more or less stated that even if an Anglo-Indian killed an Indian child, then that person would not be tried for murder.' Rebecca deadpanned mentally. "Sounds more like racial discrimination if you ask me." She mumbled under her breath.
Sebastian couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corners of his mouth. The ebony haired teen was fairly smart for a female. Considering that society looked down on well educated women.
"Gentry, hm…? Worthless." Ciel sighed, looking at the note Sebastian had handed back to him. "In any case… What of this mark…?" He mused.
"THEY'RE MAKING A MOCKERY OF WE BRITISH AND HER MAJSTY THE QUEEN! HOW DARE THEY COCK ABOUT LIKE THIS…! THE VICTIMS ARE ALL RETURNEES FROM INDIA. THAT MEANS THE PERPETRATOR MUST BE A VILE INDIAN. THOSE BLOODY SAVAGES!" The male shouted angrily.
"Commissioner Randall, Please calm down." Abberline pleaded, knowing that the older gentleman had a rather foul temper at times.
"Ohhh? So that's why I was summoned here." Ciel grinned. "Most of the Indians who've stolen their way into Great Britain are holed up in the East End. The city police seem to have trouble dealing with the Underworld there. So learning the exact number of stowaways or by what routes they make it here is rather problematic, hm?"
Lord Randall gritted his teeth as the Earl continued to talk. It was the boy's cocky attitude that irked him the most.
"Well, if you don't mind, I'll be going about my business. I'd like to return to the manor as soon as possible, you see. Sebastian, you've memorized the papers?" Ciel asked when the demon returned to his side once again.
The raven haired male placed a hand over his left breast. "Yes, sir." He replied.
Rebecca blanched. 'He memorized that whole thing?'
"Come along then, Sebastian, Horatio."
"Very good, sir." Sebastian nodded, returning the case file to Abberline.
"Ah! C-Comin'!" Rebecca stuttered, quickly following after Ciel.
The brunette inspector watch as the group of three left the crime scene, his curiosity finally peaking. "Commissioner Randall. Who in the world is that kid…?"
"Since you've seen for yourself, I suppose I have no choice but to fill you in…Abberline… In this country, there exists a secret agency under direct control of the queen. It is known as 'Phantomhive.' The Phantomhive Earldom has headed up this agency though the generations… and the Earls themselves have been called 'Watchdogs of the Queen' or the 'Aristocrats of Evil.'"
"Why 'Evil'? If he serves the Royal Family, are they not the same a u—!"
"NO. That is no such simple thing. In every civilization, there is both a 'Polite society' and an 'Underworld.' And Great Britain is no exception. The rouge organization known as Phantomhive covers up any number of criminal acts carried out by the Royals and will stop at nothing to eliminate any and all who may seek to harm the Royal Family. By all rights, they function as the Royal 'Shadow'—A 'Phantom' which should never have come into being.
"The underbelly of the East End. The criminals and Blackguards of other nations who congregate therein. So that these undesirables do not spill out into polite society, they employ their monstrous authority to rule over and police every inch of this country's Underworld. That's… The 'Phantomhive Earldom' for you." Randall explained.
"So basically, they're the opposite of the police in that… they use the powers of 'Evil' to carry out the Queen's orders…? A slip of a child like him?" The chief inspector couldn't believe what he had just been told. Such a burden had been placed on a child's shoulders?
"That there is no child." Randall spat. "That is… the Devil himself."
Sebastian smirked as he followed after the young Earl. Naturally he had heard Randall's complete explanation and the fact that the Commissioner saw his young Master as a Devil was laughable. If only the man knew the ACTUAL truth.
"Y-Young Master, if I may be so bold, but, where're we goin' anyway?" Rebecca asked, appearing to be slightly nervous about being so close to Sebastian.
"We're going to see an acquaintance of mine to gather more information." Ciel stated plainly.
"My Lord, perhaps that is not the best place for a Lady to roam about." Sebastian suggested, knowing that the boy was planning to pay a visit to Lau.
The bluenette turned his head slightly to his demonic servant; his eyes seemed to shine with a hint of mischief that the butler had noticed earlier back at the townhouse. Sebastian also noticed that the boy's gaze held an underlying assumption that frankly he didn't need to be said aloud.
"Tch, I ain't a bloody noble!" Rebecca scoffed, folding her arms across her chest defiantly. She would never say it aloud, but the teen was silently thankful that the butler at least had SOME worry about her well being.
"Then I suppose that settles it." Ciel smirked.
"Young Master. We have arrived." Sebastian stated as the trio stood in front of the open entrance.
"—You sure this is it?" Ciel asked, confirming with his butler.
"Yes, sir."
The young Earl nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. "You may want to use this when we go inside." He suggested handing the piece of fabric to the young teen.
Rebecca stared at him slightly dumbfounded, but took the handkerchief without a word.
Slowly the trio began descending the stairs, their only source of light being the oriental style lanterns that lined the walls.
"Do watch your step." Sebastian warned as the continued down the steps to Lau's usual place of business.
After a few moments, the group finally approached a door at the bottom of the steps and without hesitation, Sebastian opened the door.
Immediately, a rather strong floral scent wafted passed the three as soon as the door was opened. Rebecca instantly brought the handkerchief to her face in an attempt to delude the smell.
"What an awful smell…" Ciel coughed, using the sleeve of his jacket to cover his mouth.
"…So you've finally managed to find this place… Earl." A voice came, sounding slightly amused.
Rebecca strained her sight through the haze of smoke, only able to make out a silhouette of a man and two women.
"How strange to be facing you here like this. But I've always believed this day would come."
"And what sort of day would that be?" Ciel hissed, annoyed with the oriental male.
"I say! Welcome, Earl! It's been too long!" Lau grinned, all seriousness disappearing from his voice and feature's.
Rebecca blanched once the hazy curtain of smoke finally lifted to reveal the sight now before her. A male, clearly of oriental decent, sat surrounded by a crowd of women, also of oriental decent, wearing dresses that society would deem extremely inappropriate.
"Have you been well? Ah! I heard that you celebrated your birthday not long ago? Good tidings to you!" Lau added.
"Never mind that!" The boy groaned, blushing slightly at the rather compromising position that Ran-Mao was in. "There's something I want to ask you."
'Why are you blushing?' Sebastian wondered mentally. He didn't see anything wrong with the situation. Then again, he was a devil after all.
"Aah! And who is this beautiful tigress you brought with you?" Lau smirked, ignoring the young Phantomhive's statement and focusing on the ebony haired female behind him.
Rebecca flinched. She didn't like how he looked at her, granted that it appeared his eyes were closed. Wait, how did he know that she was a girl? Quickly her hands shot up to her head, relieved to know that her hat was still on.
"She is one of my servants." Ciel deadpanned, knowing that the china man was probably going ask to buy her. He had told Lau about the two new servants he had hired. Of course it wasn't surprising that he already forgot about it.
"Aw, that's too bad. She would look lovely in one of my dresses. Isn't that right, Ran-Mao." Lau pouted, looking to the female that was sitting on his lap.
Ran-Mao merely nodded in response.
"For the Earl to go to the trouble of visiting this dark cellar of an opium den must mean you're here... about that yes?" He added, his voice taking on the serious tone that it held earlier when the trio had walked in.
'Is this man even being serious?' Rebecca wondered mentally after his quick change in mood. From the corner of her vision, the teen spotted Sebastian surrounded by two other women that had been sitting around the oriental earlier.
"Brother, would you like some?" One of the females offered, holding a pipe in her hand.
"I shall pass, thank you." Sebastian replied.
"Word's gotten around already, has it? You've a sharp ear." Ciel sighed. "Yes, I'm looking into that series of incidents. When it comes to Orientals, talking to you, the bigwig of this patch, is always the most expedient… British branch manager of the Chinese trading company 'Kunlun'… Or should I say… Top official of the Chinese crime syndicate Qing Bang—Lau."
Rebecca's eyes widened. Had she really just heard Ciel right?
"I reeeally would prefer you not call me that. It's much too stuffy and all. Isn't it just, Ran-Mao? Riiight?" Lau admitted.
"Yes." Ran-Mao replied, no emotion to her voice.
"Stop puffing away, and hear me out!"Ciel hissed as Lau took another drag from his pipe. "I've left the management of the oriental quarter to you. So you've an idea of the number of people coming and going around these parts, yes?"
"Now, now, this is just a bit of mint." Lau smirked, setting down his pipe. "Certianly. I'm following your orders to the letter, Lord Earl. Such is the price I must pay to conduct 'business' in this country's Underworld after all." He admitted.
'Ciel is allowing this man to ACTUALLY sell drugs here in England? Is he mad?' Rebecca was finding this all hard to believe even though it was being presented right in front of her. What was the boy's reason for allowing such a person to conduct 'business', as Lau had put it, without any trouble?
"Then—"
"But first," Lau started, cutting off Ciel. "I have a question to pose to you as well, my Lord."
Ciel's brows furrowed in confusion.
"These incidents of which you speak… What are they exactly?" The china men asked, all sense of seriousness once again gone from his voice and features.
Rebecca's face faltered. Was he actually serious? Lau had just being speaking as if he knew exactly what was going on.
"Why, you… We have to take it from the top, huh?" Ciel growled, glaring heatedly at Lau.
"He was simply chiming in when he thought it appropriate. I'm sure of that." Sebastian stated, amused by how annoyed Lau had made his young Master.
"Guessin' 'e does this often…"
"Unfortunately yes. Mister Lau has a tendency to assume he knows what he is talking about." He replied seeing that Ciel was busy explaining everything to the mafia leader.
"—Oh, Noow I see! So you'd like to capture that prankster!" Lau smiled, finally understanding the reason behind the young Phantomhive's visit.
Rebecca shook her head as the group continued walking to wherever it was the Lau was taking them.
"There haven't been any deaths yet, but the gentry and military personnel are being targeted." Ciel added, relieved that he was done explaining the situation to Lau. The man could be very daft at times.
Rebecca's head snapped up at the mention of 'Military Personnel'. Her thoughts immediately turned to her older brother Horatio. She hadn't seen him in two years and he rarely sent letters to let everyone know he was doing alright. Perhaps she could ask the Earl later on at the town house if he knew where the Royal Army's fourth infantry was stationed.
"Ah, you have to make an example of him to keep the common folk in line! There simply is no end to your troubles, Earl." Lau chuckled, teasing Ciel.
"What drivel." He sighed.
"Incidentally, we have walked quite a distance. At which lodging house are the Indians based?" Sebastian finally asked, noticing that they had walked quite the ways into East End than they probably should have.
The group of four stopped in the middle of the street. Ciel, Rebecca, and Lau finally aware of their surroundings.
"Ah! Do forgive me! I was so caught up in our conversation that I think I may have gotten us lost! Ha! Ha! Ha! Silly me!" Lau laughed.
"WHY YOU—!" Ciel hissed angrily.
"Now whadda we do?" Rebecca groaned, thoroughly annoyed with the oriental.
"Then first let's trace our steps back and—OW!" Ciel stumbled back slightly after walking into someone unintentionally. "Par—"
"OWWWWW! I THINK I JUST CRACKED A RIIIIIB—!" The man cried out, wrapping his arms around his upper torso as if he was in pain.
Sebastian sighed. Humans will do anything for money he supposed.
Rebecca wasn't sure what she should do as a large mass of people began to encircle the four, acting as if they were worried about the man's well being. "C-Ciel…!" She stuttered.
The young Phantomhive ignored the teen as he stared down, well rather, stared up at the male he had accidently bumped into.
"The little Master's awfully well dressed for an East Ender. You a noble?" The dark skinned male demanded, grabbing the front of Ciel's cloak.
The blunette smacked the male's hand away, clearly irritated.
"I gotta demand damages for you banging into me, kid! Leave everything you've got on ya behind, ya hear!"
"Fer someone 'ho cracked a rib, 'e sure don't seem ta be in pain." Rebecca mumbled.
Ciel gave no answer. It was times like these where he wished he could actually act like a little kid instead of the Phantomhive Earl.
"And once again, you have gotten yourself caught by a second-rate thug, young Master." Sebastian replied.
"Again? Whad'ya mean again?" The ebony haired teen panicked. Maybe taking Ciel up on his offer when they met in Houndsworth hadn't been a good idea after all.
"How shall we deal with this?" The demon inquired, already knowing the boy's answer.
"How? Just get rid of them quick." Ciel ordered.
"As you wish." Sebastian nodded; pulling down on his right glove to make sure it was secured.
"And ya know… The Indians 'round here have it in for you nobles. You dragged us all the way here, and then just threw us out like trash! The lot of you British are self-serving bastards!" The Indian hissed angrily. The mob cheered in agreement. "It's your fault we've been reduced to leading lives of misery, like sewer rats!"
"YEAH!"
"YOU TRAMPLED OUR NATION UNDER YOUR SHOD FEET!"
"YEAH!"
"NOW TASTE THE HUMILIATION OF BEING PLUNDERED FOR YOURSELVES!" He shouted, pulling out a sword.
Rebecca moved behind Sebastian, currently more afraid of the weapon the Indian was wielding than of the black clad butler.
"That aside, there's something I should like to ask you." A calmer voice came, going unnoticed by the angry mob.
"YEAH! FIRST OFF, I GOTTA ASK YOU SOMETHING!"
"YEAH!"
"If you prove useful, I'll treat you to something delicious in reward."
"YEAH!"
"YEAH! SOMETHING DELICIOUS!"
"FISH!"
"YEAH!"
"TYPICAL."
"I WAS JUST STARTING TO FEEL A BIT PECKISH!"
"DAH! THAT ISN'T IIIT!" The leader of the mob shouted, causing everyone to turn and look behind them.
Rebecca stepped out from behind Sebastian to get a better view of the two newcomers. They at least sounded friendlier than the group of thugs that surrounded them.
"Quiet down you lot." The purple haired male replied, stepping forward towards the group. "I'm looking for someone." He added, pulling out a piece of paper with a child's drawing of a person on it. "Have you seen an Indian like this?"
Everyone stared at the male completely stunned. Was this guy trying to pull one over them?
"HUNH! DON'T INTERRUPT US, YOU CUR!" The mob leader growled, holding up his sword in front of the other's face.
"How dare you call me a cur. I am asking you a question…Nn? What's going on? Are you fighting a duel?" He asked, peering around the other to see what all the commotion had been about.
"Hey, don't igno—"
The purple haired male's eyes narrowed at the sight of Ciel, Sebastian, and Rebecca. "He has a khansama with him…" He stated, pushing passed the Indian before him. "Are you… a British noble?"
"And what if I am?" Ciel inquired.
Rebecca quickly glanced at the newest Indian. Immediately she noticed that the male was dressed in more decorative garments than the rest, and that he also seemed to hold himself higher than everyone around him.
"Then I shall side with my brothers in this battle. Agni!"
A white haired male stepped forward, dressed in a similar way to the younger, but not as decoratively as the others. "Yes, your Highness." Agni replied.
"Defeat them." The purple haired Indian ordered.
"Jo Aagyaa." He nodded, undoing the bandage that covered his entire right hand. "This right hand, with which God has blessed me… Shall I wield for my Master."
Before anyone could blink, Agni darted towards Sebastian, ready to attack.
Quick to react, the demon pushed Rebecca to the side and out of the way before bring his arm up to block the Indian's attack. Grabbing Ciel and holding him under his arm, Sebastian ducked as Agni's leg swung around in an attempt to hit his in the head. The white haired Indian quickly regained his balance and once again began to attack Sebastian, attempting to hit several of his 'pressure points'.
'So swift!' Sebastian remained on the defensive as he tried to get away from the attack Indian. Frankly he was surprised that this human was able to keep up with him.
"DON'T YOU DARE… FORGET ABOUT US!" The mob leader shouted, hoping to get the butler from behind while he was distracted.
Sebastian ducked once again as Agni threw a punch at his face, instead it connected with the Indian that tried to attack the butler. The demon turned on his heel as started putting some distance between himself as the other.
"Forgive me, brother!" Agni apologized. "I will tend to your injuries presently!" He added, and chased after Sebastian once again.
Rebecca watched the two in awe. Luckily it had seemed the Indian thugs that were near her didn't pay her any mind. They all seemed too shocked by Sebastian and Agni's speed. 'Ciel acts like everything that Sebastian does is normal… Even Mey-Rin, Bard, Finny, and Tanaka act the same. But… why do I feel like I'm the only one who cannot even trust him?' She wondered to herself. Even Benjamin had slowly started to trust the butler and frankly, that scared her.
The brief fight between Agni and Sebastian had stopped for a moment. The stance the white haired Indian had taken could be used for him to either go back on the offensive, or go on the defensive. "I have struck your marma numerous times. Normally your arm would be paralyzed by now. So why can you still move?" Agni inquired.
Ciel flinched. He had to do something fast before someone could question Sebastian's humanity openly. Unfortunately for him, that was already too late. "Hey! We were just passing through when those Indians picked a fight with us! Are all Indians barbarians who indiscriminately attack any Englishman they lay their eyes on!" He retorted, struggling to get back down on his own two feet.
"What? You there! Did you attack this runt and his companions without a valid reason?" The purple haired male demanded.
"Hunh? Reason?"
"We can't have that! The fool is he who wages war without cause. Agni! In this case, our brothers are at fault! Ally with the runt and company!"
"Yes, your Highness!" Agni bowed.
Ciel, Sebastian and Rebecca stared at the pile of unconscious Indian's in surprise and disbelief.
"All done, Lord Soma!" Agni smiled.
"Good." Soma nodded. "Hey, you three. You're not hurt?" He asked, looking to Ciel and Sebastian, then Rebecca after Agni helped her back to her feet.
"N-No…" Sebastian replied.
The ebony haired teen thanked the Indian before turning to the younger and shaking her head.
"And you, runt. A child should not be wandering in a place like this. It's dangerous." Soma scolded, putting Ciel top hat back on his head after dusting it off. "I'm still on the hunt for someone, so I'll be taking my leave. Farewell…"
The trio watched, still dazed, as Soma and Agni headed down the street.
"Lord Soma, you have done a good deed!"
"It was my duty as a child of God."
"Myyy—! Those two were something else!" Lau's voice echoed, slightly startling the trio.
Rebecca looked around her franticly before he gaze turned skyward. And sure enough, the Chinese male was standing on one of the buildings roofs looking down at them. "When did he get up there?" She sweat dropped. Now that she thought about it, Lau hadn't been anywhere near them once the fight started.
"AND WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THIS WHOLE TIME?" Ciel shouted angrily.
"Oh, don't be like that! Why, I was waiting for a chance to save you, okay?" Lau replied, jumping down from the roof and landing next to the Earl with easy.
"English roads are too complicated!" Soma groaned, his voice softer as he and Agni continued walking away.
"Let us go left next."
"In any case, who were they? They don't live in East End, that much is obvious." Lau mused.
"They're too well dress ta be from this side of London." Rebecca added, agreeing with the Chinese male.
"And their English was without a trace of an accent." He added.
"Be that as it may… I should think our first priority is to take these people to the city police." Sebastian suggested.
Ciel sighed. "Perhaps Lord Randall will be able to get something out of them."
Rebecca groaned internally. She only wanted to go back to the town house, wash up, and attempt to forget everything that had happened today. This was all turning into a horrible nightmare that she would never wake up from.
By the time the group of four had returned to the town house, the sun had vanished behind thick grey clouds and it began to snow again. Ciel had allowed Sebastian to take his coat and hat, being far too exhausted to really care about taking them off himself. The boy could undress himself without problem and he could also dress himself, at least to some extent, but right now he just wanted to relax with a cup of tea and no interruptions from anyone.
"We laboured in vain…" He groaned.
"And now it's begun to snow." Sebastian added, taking Lau over coat as well. Rebecca had already taken off her coat and messenger cap, holding on to them until she could head back to her own room and put them away.
"The culprit might be among them. Let us wait for Lord Randall to contact us." The young Earl added. "Really! I'm tired of being summoned to London every time a silly incident like this occurs!"
"It comes with 'he territory, no?" Rebecca wondered.
"That is the burden of being a Phantomhive. I, however, do not regret any of my decisions." Ciel replied.
"Ha ha! You must howl if there is even the faintest possibility of harm befalling Her Majesty! Such a difficult role of the Watchdog, Earl. But I don't mind in the least since I get to play with you!" Lau teased.
The ebony haired teen sighed at Lau's comment. He was just begging for trouble, teasing the bluenette like that.
The door that led to the Servant's Quarters opened shortly after. Bardroy, Mey-Rin, Finny, Tanaka, and Benjamin all popping their heads out from behind the door.
"Young Master! Welcome hooome!" Finny smiled happily.
"Yes, home!" Mey-Rin nodded.
"Who's 'he guy?" Benjamin wondered, walking over to Rebecca.
"His name is Lau from what I learned. If he sounds like he being serious at any point… don't believe a word he says."
"Why?"
"The man only acts like he understands what is occurring." Rebecca explained.
"Oh…"
"You brought your servants with you this time?" Lau pointed out.
"Yes. It would be troublesome to leave them behind at the Manor." Sebastian sighed, imagining the estate already up in flames had he left the trio of idiots behind. "We left our guard dog to watch over the estate while the young Master is away on business." He added.
"Ohhhh?"
Rebecca tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder how Pluto's doing anyway. Shame he couldn't have come with us."
Benjamin visibly shuddered at the thought of the demon hound being at the town house with them. "No it ain't…" He retorted.
The ebony haired teen giggled. She had expected that type of reaction anyway.
"Well! You must be worn out from the cold. I will have tea ready right away." Sebastian smiled.
"Haah. Indeed." Ciel nodded.
"I would prefer Chai to English tea." A familiar voice replied.
"Indeed." The boy agreed, not paying attention at first.
Rebecca was the first to turn and spotted the two Indian's from East End that had helped them.
"EH?"
"Wh—!"
"Wh—!"
"This is awfully small compared to my palace." Soma admitted, surveying the main entrance hall of the Phantomhive town house.
"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Ciel shouted, astonished that the two Indian's actually had the gall to walk into is home, uninvited.
"What do you mean, why? We became acquainted but a moment ago. Have you forgotten me already?"
"Became acquainted, you say…"
"And I rescued you." The Indian teen added.
"Res—! How!" Ciel shrieked.
The trio of idiots watched the situation unfold. Completely confused.
"Huh?"
"What's going on?" They wondered.
"You know 'im?" Benjamin questioned, once again turning to his friend.
"N-Not exactly in that sense…" She replied.
"In India, it is commonplace to invite your benefactors into your home and make them welcome. There's a saying that goes, 'Entertain your guests even if you have to sell off your heirlooms.'" Soma explained.
"But we're in England…" Rebecca stated, though her remark going unnoticed by the Indian.
"Hey, where's the bed?" He asked, looking around the room.
"Why a bed?" Lau inquired.
"In my country, one invites one's guest to one's bed to sit together in a circle, enjoying each other's company." Soma added.
Benjamin was unable to control the few snickers that slipped passed his lips. Earning a slap on the back of the head from Rebecca.
"Don't think such things! It's rude!" She hissed under her breath.
"What? 'E's th' one 'ho said it!" He retorted.
"Myyyyyy Priiince! Loooord Somaaaa! There is one heeeere!" Agni called happily, practically flying down the stairs and stopping half way down them.
"That is well."
"HEY! LISTEN TO ME!" Ciel shouted angrily, not liking how the foreigners were just ignoring him.
"Then, good. It is a tad small, but we shall stay here for a while. Much obliged." Soma said, walking up the stairs.
Ciel practically raced after the Indian. "WAIT A MINUTE! WHY MUST I TAKE CARE OF YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN!" He growled, skidding to a stop at one of the guest room doorways that Soma had just walked in through. The other's joining him shortly after.
"Ooh."
"Here you are." Agni smiled.
Soma took off his cloak and sat on the edge of the bed without a second thought. "I haven't given any thought to other lodgings. Besides, is it custom for Englishmen to throw their benefactors out into the cold?" He questioned.
'Why does he act like he's better than everyone else here? Surely not ALL Indian's are like him…' Rebecca mused, standing in the door way with the rest of the Phantomhive household and Lau.
"~~~~~! MOREOVER! JUST WHO ARE YOU!" Ciel anger was starting to get the best of him. His temper even surprised Sebastian a bit.
Soma rolled over onto his stomach before turning his gaze back to the bluenette that was yelling at him. "Me? I am a Prince."
"A Prince…?" Sebastian questioned.
"This gentleman is the twenty-sixth child of the Raja of Bengal… Prince Soma Asman Kadar." Agni introduced.
"We shall be imposing upon you for a bit…Runt."
"Run…" Ciel's eye twitched. Being insulted by some foreigner in his own home…
"Eheh! C-Ciel, h-how 'bout Ben and I make ya a treat while ya have tea!" Rebecca interjected, hoping that it wasn't too late to save the Indian Prince from certain death. If it was one thing she had learned the entire time being around the young Phantomhive, it was that he despised whenever someone criticized him about his height.
"My Prince! Agni will make some Chai as a token of friendship! On a cold day, Chai full of ginger is the best. I will borrow the kitchen!" The white haired Indian practically sang, running out of the room.
"Ah! Please wait. If it is tea that you want, I shall—" Sebastian panicked, following the foreign servant out of the room as well.
"AMAZIIIIING! So you're really a Priiince—!" Finny squealed happily.
Rebecca swore that she could see sparkles floating around the gardeners head.
"A-a Prince…" Mey-Rin blushed.
"First time I've seen a real Prince in the flesh." Bard nodded.
"You may approach." Soma grinned.
Immediately the idiot trio rushed forward, wanting to ask as many questions as they possibly could before Sebastian returned.
"So what's this Bengal-whatever country liiiike!" Mey-Rin asked.
"It is a Holy Land blessed by the Goddess Kali and the river Ganges." Soma explained.
"You are the Prince of a sacred country, are you?"
"Ah, it's in East India."
"…I'm going to bed early. I'm exhausted from this afternoon" Rebecca sighed. Sebastian was probably going to make Ciel something to eat anyway, so she really saw no point in going to the kitchen if he was already down there.
"Huh? Ya sure?" Benjamin asked.
"Yeah… I'll see you in the morning."
"'Kay." He nodded.
Rebecca turned on her heel and walked out of the room. True, she was exhausted from practically running around all of East End, but that wasn't the teen's real reason for wanting to go to bed early. What Agni had said earlier after his spar with Sebastian really had her trying to figure out what the hell was exactly going on around the Earl Phantomhive and his butler. Thinking about it was starting to give her a headache. She had already been questioning the butler's humanity since the Houndsworth incident, and if demon hounds existed, then who was to say that other unearthly beings didn't exist as well.
As the teen began to descend the staircase that lead back to the main entrance, Ciel's voice shook the entire town house as his anger had finally boiled over. Shrieks of fear could be heard coming from the room and shortly after the trio of idiots came racing out of the room and down the steps, almost knocking her over.
Rebecca tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall back asleep. She had woken up about an hour earlier from a nightmare and now all she could do was shift uncomfortably under the sheets.
The teen sighed, giving up on any hope of falling back asleep and kicked off the sheets, stepping out onto the cold floor underneath. A shiver raced up her spine at the sudden cold and goose bumps quickly formed on her arms and legs. Rebecca saw no point in staying in her room at the moment. The only good it would do her is cause her to think about Sebastian and that was really the last thing she really wanted to do.
Stepping into a pair of slippers she had left beside her bed, the ebony haired teen opened the door to the hallway and walked out, slowly making her way down the hall.
Eventually Rebecca found herself in one of the town house's sitting rooms. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one awake.
Sebastian stood in front of one of the small bookcases, rearranging several books that had been taken out most likely by Agni and Soma. Rebecca cursed her luck. She would run into the butler while everyone else was asleep. 'He hasn't said anything yet… Perhaps he didn't hear me coming down the hall.' She thought.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, Sebastian finally spoke up.
"A Lady should not be wandering the halls late at night. Especially when guests are present."
'Damn it all!' Rebecca cursed mentally. "I ain't some common whore if that's what yer insistin', Butler!"
"I never said that you were, Miss Sommers. However, my young Master does have a reputation to uphold." Sebastian smirked. Perhaps he could test to see if this human was what the boy assumed she was.
"Yer still insinuatin' that I am one!" Rebecca hissed, glaring daggers at the black clad male.
"What is a Lady such as yourself doing awake at such an unholy hour, if I may ask." He wondered, quickly changing the subject. If he was going to prove to himself that this girl wasn't his mate, now was probably the only chance that he'd really have.
"If you must know, I had a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep." The teen admitted, folding her arms across her torso.
"Oh? May I inquire as to what it was your nightmare was about?"
"No…" Rebecca replied quickly. She would never admit to anyone that her nightmare had actually been about him.
Sebastian smirked again. "What kind of butler would I be if I could not ease what troubles you."
"Hmph! It was only a dream." Rebecca scoffed, walking into the room and taking a seat in one of the chairs that surrounded a small table. "Nightmare's 're just over reactions ta certain thoughts n fears." She added.
"… I suppose." The demon replied, shelving the last book. Sebastian glanced at the teen from over his shoulder. Her eyes were down cast purposely to avoid looking at him. She sat with her arms crossed over her chest and one leg crossed over the other in a defiant pose. The sight of the teen sitting like that was somewhat amusing. Women, no matter the class they were born into, would never sit in such a way. Especially in front of a man.
Sebastian watched her carefully, wondering if she would get up to leave seeing that the room had fallen into silence.
Rebecca made no move to leave or even get up. Internally, she was debating whether or not to flat out ask him about her suspicion. 'But what do I do if he does admit to not being human? No one is awake yet which gives me hardly any means of escape if he tries something…'
"You seem to be very troubled by your thoughts, Miss Sommers." Sebastian's sudden voice caused Rebecca's eyes to snap open, immediately greeted by the butler's own russet ones. Her brain quickly registered just how close he was, forcing a sharp intake of air into her lungs out of surprise. The teen leaned back into the chair as far as she was allowed, trying to distance herself from the male.
The butler couldn't help but smirk at the girl's reaction. "You wish to forget all that troubles you the most, no? To forget about the monster that lurks within your dreams?"
Rebecca's heart rate began to pick up as her breathing slowly became laboured. Sebastian's smirk widened slightly. A devil's greatest weapon was their way with words. They could easily sweet talk their prey into virtually anything. The only exception to this was their mate. And so far, Rebecca was failing every aspect of his test. Sebastian leaned in closer, using the arm rests to more or less trap the girl. "Your wish isn't that hard to fulfill, my Lady. I am only more than willing to help you… forget that which troubles you for the evening.
The ebony haired teen's eyes widened with the realization of the butler's underlying suggestion. All of her fear suddenly vanished and was replaced with anger. For him to actually believe she would go through with something of THAT nature enraged her. Without a doubt or second thought, Rebecca raised her hand and slapped Sebastian clear across the face. Hard enough that her hand print was slowly starting to appear on his cheek. Standing up, she pushed passed Sebastian and walked over to the doorway, only to stop briefly and turn to glare heatedly at the still stunned butler. "I said I ain't some common whore you bastard! Yer a bloody pig is what you are!" Rebecca growled angrily and stormed down the hall back to her own room.
Sebastian stared at the now empty doorway, still stunned by the teen's reaction. His cheek still stung from where she slapped him. This was something that wouldn't be easy for him to fix.
Half way to her room, Rebecca had ended up running the rest of the way, closing the door to her room as quickly as she could without waking anyone. Once her anger had faded away, the teen was terrified of what could possible happen if she had actually pissed off Sebastian.
Rebecca leaned again the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the cold floor beneath her. The shadows on the walls seemed to dance as her brain tried to comprehend their shapes, almost as if they were mocking her with a dark secret. The teen squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head and hugging herself tightly. Even though Sebastian had never done anything to her, Rebecca had been afraid of him since the start, almost as if it was an instinct that had been embedded within her from birth. She really had no reason to be afraid of the raven haired male.
When she had first met Benjamin, she had been weary of him as well, but even that fear had vanished after a few days. Rebecca had been in the services of the Phantomhive house for four months already and yet she still found herself unable to completely trust Sebastian. "I'm over reacting… There really is no reason for me to be afraid of him… I have a reason to hate him, but… not to be afraid of him…Besides, Agni's human and he can move faster than I've ever seen. Sebastian could have just been in the military at some point in his life…"
The ebony haired teen opened her eyes and stared down at the floor in front of her. "I suppose… I should apologize for hitting him… even if he did deserve it." Swallowing her fear, and a good part of her pride, Rebecca stood and opened the door, walking back out into the hallway and headed back to the sitting room. Mindful of her surroundings, the teen made it back upstairs without trouble, only to find the sitting room unoccupied and dark. 'Must have gone to bed…'
Sighing, she walked into the room, shuffling her feet across the floor and holding her hands out in front of her, making sure as to not bump into anything as she made her way to one of the windows.
The sight on the opposite side of the glass was nothing short of beautiful in Rebecca's opinion. Snowflakes continued to fall, though not as much as it had earlier. The snow would swirl around in a chaotic dance whenever a slight wind would blow passed, momentarily disrupting their journey to the earth. Rebecca's gaze traveled up and down the street in front of the town house, a figure catching her attention as they stood before the iron hatchway. The stranger's hair seemed to blend in with the already fallen snow that had collected on the ground and there was only one person that the teen had met with hair that similar in color.
"Angela…?" Rebecca quickly rubbed her eyes. Upon opening them, the stranger had vanished. No evidence of anyone ever having been there.
She blinked once, twice, three times before shaking her head. "My eyes must be playing tricks on me…"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG I loved writing the very end of this chapter! There hadn't been much that had happened between Sebastian and Rebecca in the beginning so I just HAD to add something extra. I didn't want Becca to find out that Sebastian was a demon yet, so I thought to myself:
"Well, Sebby still doesn't really believe that a human is his mate yet, so how can I have this one play out."
And her smacking him across the face was the perfect idea. Oh, and just so you don't think that Becca's starting to like Sebastian, I will explain why she went to apologize. My reasoning behind her apologizing to Sebastian was that she assumed her fear to be an over-reaction of sorts since the Houndsworth incident had made her question who the Phantomhive butler really was, and that thinking so much about it caused her imagination to blow everything out of proportion. For the moment, she's brushing off what she assumed she saw during Ciel's birthday ((end of chapter 9)) as her eyes playing tricks on her after watching Agni fight Sebastian. Hopefully that clears a bit of that up.
Reet*: It's just another way of saying 'alright' 'right' 'okay'.
Thank you Itty Bitty Panda Committee, I Am Pandora, Daniella, and Chichi4mangaHero for leaving a review. And thank you to everyone who subscribed/faved the story.
The more reviews I get, the sooner I update((hopefully))
Ciao for now^^