Warnings: Short chapter because again, this chapter is wrapping up the previous issue Ciel faced, and introducing the next whoo. Thank you for the reviews and stuff guys ily muaa ;_;

Chapter Nine

Pools of rich sapphire scrutinized the movement of gray, nighttime clouds. They slid by with such measured grace and ease, and their relaxed attitude was contagious. The atmosphere looked to be an artist's slate that was now lively with various shades of orange and pink. The crickets chirped so loudly, so desperately, as if wanting to be heard by the heavens from their lowly rock stages. The breeze was warm and just as tranquil as the scenery. Ciel's mind captured all these things as he stared out the window. Back at home, he would have never had to the time admire views such as this.

With nothing else to do, the boy's arms were folded, resting on the window's edge, and his chin nestled in lightly tanned arms. Each day he spent in the castle dragged on; his schedule had not been adjusted one bit. He found his mind wandering more and more, and his body becoming lazier and lazier. Worst of all, refusing to associate with the other jealous castle dwellers came with a price; he was incredibly lonely. Boring and lonesome were his days.

The king did wish to compensate for what he'd done, but Ciel had to wonder if his request was even worth demanding. He desired freedom, but he was certain that stubborn man would never let it be. The king's words had been one of the nagging thoughts that wouldn't leave him be. Another pesky thought was whether or not the king held some sort of grudge toward him. Despite the king's promise, Ciel had not been called into his chamber since the first time. He was glad for this, he supposed, but if he was one of the king's supposed favorites, why was this so?

Ciel mentally made a list of what he should do. He was far from fatigued, so perhaps a roam around the castle would do him good. He rose from his seat beside the window and trudged out of his bed chamber. His feet took the reins, steering him in the direction of the garden. Though maneuvering through the garden at night may prove to be difficult, the sight would be worth it; the billions of diamonds in the sky were a sight to behold.

The outside of the castle drew him in like a magnet, leading him down seemingly impossible, twisted corridors and arched doorways until he finally came to the open entry room. So out the door he went, following the stony path toward the pond. He had no problem taking his sweet time, since what else was there to do that night?

He finally arrived at hissecluded place and took a seat beside the pond. The lone boy observed the stars admiring themselves in the motionless mirror of water. His fingers consciously circled through the dirt and stones on which he sat. With a sudden flick of the wrist, a pebble was thrown into the shallow water and a pair of serene eyes inspected the ripples until at last the tiny waves were at peace once more. He did this twice more until he become uninterested with his game and laid back onto the scattered patches of grass and dirt. A stone dug into his back, but he stayed put, willing himself to disregard the miniscule annoyance. This is what he was reduced to; someone who was forced to be amused by such silly things; things that would entertain a toddler.

Ciel noticed with slight unease that his surroundings became eerily quiet. The window of silence didn't last long, but in it Ciel was able to pick up two familiar voices that were just beyond ear's reach. One was the silky voice of the king, and the other the somewhat recognizable voice of his elderly advisor whose name slipped Ciel's mind. The two men conversed from up above, and Ciel climbed to his feet to find their location. The peasant traveled the same way he'd gotten to the pond, and little by little the voices grew in volume. Ciel traced the sound to a room on the castle's second floor; either the king's bed chamber or his study. Ciel stood as still as he could and shamelessly listened in.

"—solely for political reasons. Being stubborn will not do your kingdom any good." It was the king's advisor.

"You don't understand the position I'm in. If my mother and father were still alive they would never approve of this." Approve of what?

"I must disagree. If the outcome of this is finally producing an heir and maintaining peace between two nations, the king would instantly agree."

There was a long gap of silence before once again, his advisor spoke. "You mustn't reject this offer. The announcement will be made at the feast."

After the distant sound of a door shutting, Ciel ran a hand through his hair, a frown so indelibly etched onto his face. Ciel had enough sense to know what that bit of conversation was about. Two emotions fought for supremacy in the boy's heart; there was vehement joy, and then there was fear. The king's marriage could mean one of two things; his freedom, or his demise. Ciel took in a loud breath of air, and released it just as noisily. Knowing that he only had a fifty-fifty chance of living made his nerves jump and stir.

"A great night for eavesdropping isn't it?" the voice of King Sebastian asked flatly.

Ciel jumped out of his skin, but smoothly composed himself moments later. He took a few steps out so that he could see the king on his balcony. "No, but apparently it's a magnificent night for talking loudly about private matters," he muttered.

Sebastian chuckled and disappeared back into his room. Ciel crossed arms and waited, and in no time the king was beside him. "What brings you out to the garden so late at night?"

Ciel laughed a cynical laugh. "Tell me what else there is to do. Who is there to talk to? I'm wasting away here."

"Didn't I tell you? This castle is a lonely place. That's why I had my knights fetch you. Though I'm beginning to notice that hasn't made much of a difference."

Ciel scoffed. "Getting bored already? I expected as much, but I didn't think it would happen this early."

"Not bored, but still alone. The people that I'm fascinated by the most despise me, and the people I do not care for throw themselves at me. Take you, for example." He laughed to himself. "Believe me when I say I do not lie. I was being sincere when I named you one of my favorites. The only way I planned on causing uproar was making it public, and I apologize again. I never expected it to go so far."

Ciel's face softened. Someone must have been squeezing his heart. There was no other way the feeling could have come about so suddenly. It was this sudden, impervious sadness that made him second guess his opinion on the king, because just then as he stared at the king, he saw sincerity. And if anyone could relate to that loneliness, it was Ciel.

Or was it Time's doing? Ciel regarded the tiny scars on his legs and the weight he had gained back and the way his mouth was not longer dry from thirst. In time, his hunger was cured, his legs healed, and his thirst quenched. Some mental damage still lingered, but only in his dreams at night. Alois was dead by now—that is, if he was deprived of nourishment just as Ciel was. And his anger toward the king because of that had passed away. He had let go of those awful days in the dungeon and the grudge ceased. And still, his relentless stubbornness influenced him to be irritable with the king. To gag at the very sight of him. But it was no longer genuine ire, but a negative mindset that manipulated his feelings for Sebastian.

He finally concluded that staying bitter toward the king would be of no benefit. So Ciel whispered a reluctant, "I'm sorry." And he couldn't miss the playful look thrown to him by Sebastian, and in return he offered an inquisitive one.

"I'm glad making amends with you was so easy. That was beyond my expectation."

Ciel's face heated up. "I'm still not fond of you."

Sebastian shrugged and said no more. He strolled down the path in the same direction Ciel had just come from, and Ciel followed. They walked in comfortable silence for a while. Occasionally, Ciel found himself glancing at the king without much reason besides his curiosity getting the best of him. He still had so many questions to ask, but he could not. Not yet. But there was just one question that may have been appropriate to put forward at that moment...

When Sebastian stopped at the pond, not far from the spot Ciel had chosen earlier, the younger male let the question off its chain. "This request I am to give you...is it even worth asking for? You already know what I want, don't you?"

"Of course. Just like everyone else, you wish to go back to your family. I'm sure you understand what would happen if the church were to find out about my real intention for bringing you all here to the castle. If I were to let you leave and you breathe a word of what is happening here..." Sebastian shook his head. "I'm sure there would be chaos and revolts, and I cannot risk having an unstable kingdom at a time like this."

"Even if I did tell people, what makes you think that anyone will believe me? After all, everyone in my little village loves you despite not knowing who you are. They'd probably just think of my words as angry ranting."

Ciel could have sworn he saw Sebastian hesitate, but seconds later he responded with, "I simply cannot take the risk."

Ciel growled. He planned on being persistent. "But if you would—"

"I don't want you to leave," Sebastian said in a steady voice. His face was rigid, and his intense stare caused Ciel to swallow hard. He felt like cowering in fear; the same feeling he got whenever his father scolded him for misbehaving as a child. There was a strong sense of conclusion in the way Sebastian spoke that made Ciel keep his mouth shut. Then he scowled. Never before had he cared about the king's authority over him. It never stopped him from expressing his anger or bothering him about being set free.

The boy wanted to ask him why? Couldn't the king tell that he was much too stubborn to give up this fight? That just because he turned his back and began striding back over to the entrance to the castle didn't mean he was going to forget about his freedom? Why did the king want him there when he would surely be the one most likely to cause problems?

"Fine," he muttered as he walked away. He had no more to say. He was not sure what else there was to do now that his so-called relaxing stroll in the garden was finished. Just when he was about to make his way to bed, a hand caught his arm and yanked on it urgently.

"Let go of me!" Ciel demanded, snatching his arm back and whipping his head around to see who would dare lay a hand on him.

It was the girl with the curly, dark hair named Beatrice. How odd. Ciel had never even held a one-on-one conversation with the woman, so the fact that she had so urgently tried to gain his attention startled him.

"I have something to tell you. Come with me." Beatrice dragged the boy along, and he did not struggle. She led him up the stairs, through a familiar corridor, but into a foreign room. Another bedroom. Beatrice released Ciel's wrist and shut the door behind them.

If it were anyone else, the boy would have fled the room by now. He knew what the others thought of him because of his being the king's favorite. However, his memory served him well; he remembered her bitter introduction, all the hostile words she'd said about Sebastian, and the time she had scolded the rest of them for being fools. She did not seem to be as blinded as the others were, but he still kept a close eye on every move she made.

Ciel never really did get the chance to fully take in her appearance (he was above gawking at attractive women). She was stunning, with an attractive face, a curvaceous body, and clear, fair skin. Her cooperative curls remained perfectly in place at all times. She too had probably been the victim of much jealousy among the females.

"Let me get right to the point. You still aren't very fond of Sebastian, correct?"

Ciel hesitated, but decided to offer a quick nod.

"Then how would you like to help me with a little plan?"