Hey guys! I'm back and DETERMINED to finish this thing. Please support me and review to remind that I need to GET ON THIS. Please enjoy the (admittedly short) chapter!
Chapter 11
The Prince and Agni left the next day amidst much waving and 'Good bye'-ing. When the carriage passed through the front gates Ciel gave a sigh of relief, the frosty air making sure everyone saw the large puff of air that escaped him. "Now if only he'd stay gone." he muttered to himself.
"Don't be so cranky Master Ciel," admonished Tsuki, "At least it was fun. We've been cooped up for over a month, I haven't been outside more'n twice!" She sighed and looked around. "When is all this snow going to melt anyway?"
"Usually starts meltin' 'round the end of February, early March." answered Bard, fumbling to light another cigarette with numb fingers. "Got another two, maybe two and a half weeks."
"Say, isn't Valentines Day in a few days?" quipped Finny.
"Ah yes. In fact Young Master, I expect you'll be getting a warning letter about Lady Elizabeth coming soon." Sebastian added.
Ciel gave an annoyed grunt and swept inside, followed by Sebastian. Tsuki shivered inside her woolen coat and watched them go. "Who's Lady Elizabeth?" she asked.
"That's right, you haven't met her yet! Well, y'see, she's Master's fiancée!" Mey-Rin and Finny giggled together.
Tsuki stared at them for a second before moving her hair away from her ears to hear better. "His what?"
"Fiancée!"
"Fiancée? . . . As in- as in 'Engaged'?! THAT kind of fiancée?"
Mey-Rin and Finny looked just as confused as Tsuki was. "Well really Tsuki, what other kind of fiancée could there possibly be?"
"But the Young Master's only THIRTEEN!"
"Yes? I still don't see what all the fuss is about, they've been engaged for ages already."
Tsuki chewed her lower lip, staring at the snow that was beginning to fall again. I'll have to ask Sebastian about all of this later.
Once they were inside again, Tsuki decided that a bit of exercise would warm her up in no time. She crooked a finger at Mey-Rin, who flushed and told the others she'd see them in a bit. She followed Tsuki to her room where she closed and locked the door, gesturing for Mey-Rin to start changing. Mey-Rin's face began to heat up almost immediately. "Oh Tsukiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, is this really necessary, I mean, I could do this in my uniform as is you know."
"No, actually, you can't. And you know it. Now stop causing such a fuss and start stripping." She snickered at her pun and turned from her mirror where she was putting up her hair. "I'd love for you to explain to me why only the clothes and not the dancing make you so uncomfortable." Stalking over to Mey-Rin she gave one mighty yank, and just like that flustered young woman was left in the middle of the room in only her corset and bloomers. "Don't. Even. Bother." she commanded before the other girl could protest. "Now get the shorts on. Unless you want me to help you . . . ?" She leered at Mey-Rin like a wolf and slunk towards her, her hands clawing to give that extra effect needed.
"Nonononono I can do it!" Mey-Rin practically tore off her bottoms in her rush to change.
"Chin up, you really do have a nice pair of legs on you you know." Her eyes ran up and down Mey-Rin's lithe form and she pointed to her bust. "You're just amazing all around aren't you? You must have at least a pair of DD's there."
"P-please refrain from t-teasing me so Tsuki."
Tsuki hummed a few notes from an old lullaby, a crooning and terribly catchy tune, as she slowly twirled about the room, pulling Mey-Rin close as she swept across the floor. "You know I only do it in good fun sweetheart." She gave Mey-Rin a spin and dipped her low, grinning all the while. "You really are very pretty. I wish I could see you all dressed up." She righted Mey-Rin before releasing her and resuming her solitary dance around the room.
Mey-Rin immediately went cherry red. "Oh, not at all Tsuki. I'm quite plain, especially in comparison to you."
Tsuki gave an unlady-like snort, "Don't be silly Mey-Rin. I'm pretty enough I suppose. No real looker though." She nudged the other girl to bend and begin her stretches.
"Of course you are!" Indignant, Mey-Rin reached down to touch her toes. "You're absolutely striking you know. And your looks are especially appreciated here. You're . . . exotic? Yes, that's the word. Even your name is interesting."
"I was named after some grandmother or another back in the day. Apparently I look like her. Weird thing is, she wasn't even Japanese, or at least not wholly. She was half, or a quarter. I don't remember."
"That explains a bit. I thought it was odd since most Asians have dark eyes."
"Yeah. Seems kinda freaky that the green would pop up again after so long though." Tsuki started scrolling through music, "Ready to start?"
At the front door, Sebastian collected the mail that had finally been delivered now that the storm had cleared out and brought it back to the kitchen where he was mixing the batter for tonight's dessert.
"Do you want me to take a message to Master Ciel, Sebastian?" Tsuki was peeling carrots in the sink while she kept an eye on Finny, and Mey-Rin, both were outside shoveling snow and Pluto was circling them, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"No need, I shall alert him myself."
Both worked in silence for a time, Tsuki finished up, rinsing the carrots and taking them to the counter so she could start chopping. The questions about Ciel's engagement had been bouncing around in her head all day, begging to be let out. "Sebastian..."
"Yes?"
"I, I have a question. Ehm, it's about, you know." She enunciated, hoping he'd catch her hint. Though the other servants didn't seem to think much of her strange habits and musical slab of metal, they didn't know all the details of her arrival. Sebastian and Ciel had agreed that it would be easier if she kept that sort of thing to herself.
He looked at her sharply, his eyes darting towards Bard, blissfully ignorant of what was going on around him. He held a stick of dynamite in one hand and a plucked bird in the other.
"Bard."
He jumped guiltily, scrambling to stick the dynamite in an apron pocket.
"Go and assist the others outside. Tsuki and I will finish these preparations."
"But-"
"Go." Sebastian said firmly.
Bard stomped over to the closet to grab his coat, grumbling about how he was never going to get to show his artistic talent in the kitchen, before closing the door with a resounding thud.
Sebastian turned back to the cake he was making, pouring the creamy batter into a mold before gathering raisins, nuts, and cherries that were to be carefully arranged on top of it. "What was the nature of your inquiry Tsuki?"
"Well actually, it's about Ciel." she paused wondering how to ask. Oh to hell with it, "Is he really engaged at such a young age?"
"Yes." Sebastian replied coolly. "Does that come as a surprise to you?"
"It does! Arranged marriages, especially at such early ages, are not very common anymore." She had reduced her pile of carrots to a heap of matchsticks. "Are they both okay with it?"
"Well yes, I would suppose so. They have known each other nearly since birth." Tsuki had started to relax a bit at finding this out. Well this won't do at all will it? He thought about it for a second before grinning wickedly. "They are cousins after all, it's perfectly normal for that sort of thing to happen in aristocratic families."
Tsuki looked down at her pile of carrots thoughtfully, her expression nowhere near what Sebastian had hoped to draw out. He pressed the matter, "Is it okay for them to be blood related but not for them to marry at such a young age?"
She looked up, startled out of her own thoughts, "A-ah well no, not really." She frowned down at her cutting board before continuing. "I guess it's just that I'm more used to hearing that kind of thing. In Japan, it's still perfectly alright for cousins to do this sort of thing. I've never agreed with it though, especially since many of the ones I've seen were very similar to brother-sister relations." The carrots stared back at her woefully, as if to blame her for their current state of being. "Not that I'd ever know. I was an only child and both my parents were too."
"Tsuki!" Finny sprung inside, his nose and cheeks rosy from the exercise. He snuggled up to her, his cold seeping through his clothes and stealing her warmth.
"F-Finny!" Tsuki's teeth were already starting to chatter. "You're FREEZING!"
"And Tsuki's warrrrrrrrrrrrm~" Finny purred back, beside him Pluto whined in agreement as he pushed his nose into Tsuki's palm as if to say "See? Me too!"
"Alright, alright. Let's get you warm again." She led them into the hallway and into a smaller adjoining room meant for the servants before Sebastian could pull out his scowl of disapproval at the naked man in his kitchen. "And let's get some clothes on you,little sneak." From a cupboard she pulled out one of many roughly made shirts and pairs of pants meant for Pluto. Ciel didn't see the point in wasting money on quality clothing when the 'mutt' was just going to tear through them anyway.
As she drew the pants up and began to pull the strings closed Mey-Rin came to the doorway. "Master is calling for you Tsuki, I can finish dressing him."
"Mey-Rin, I've always wanted to ask you; How are you so comfortable with Pluto being naked yet you can barely change in front of me?" She finished his pants before standing out and brushing off her skirt.
Mey-Rin looked confused. "It's just Pluto. He's only an animal after all."
"Yes, but- . . . oh never mind." She decided to let the matter drop. It wouldn't do any good, jut scare Mey-Rin. Even if he is in the form of a man. "What did Master Ciel want?"
"He said you promised him something."
"Ah, yeah. Thanks, I'll go up." She'd forgotten that she'd promised him the use of her iPod before dinner. Luckily, she had it in her pocket so she cut through the kitchen to head upstairs. Sebastian was putting the finishing touches on a tray no doubt meant for Ciel. "Want me to take that up while I'm headed there?" she asked, her stomach growling at the sight of the warm delicacy settled prettily on the plate.
"No need, I have several messages that I must deliver. The rest of the cake is on the counter, you may all have one piece when you've finished."
"Awesome! I'll just run this up to Master Ciel then." grinning happily she bolted out the door and took the stairs two at a time.
It wasn't for another 10 minutes that Sebastian went up to knock softly on Ciels door.
"Enter." Ciel drawled as he leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk. He was flicking away on one of Tsuki's apps, never looking up as Sebastian placed the pastry on his desk and explained its contents. He played for another 5 minutes before putting the device to the side and picking up his fork. "What are the other servants doing Sebastian?"
"They have been assigned the task of cleaning up the mess downstairs sir."
"Hmmm . . ." Ciel thoughtfully placed a forkful of cake in his mouth and stared at the door while he chewed. "What shall I do with her? She has been fairly good with the other servants, certainly entertaining at the very least."
"If I may, young master, I believe we should not let her get too attached here. She is too smart to not notice what is happening around here, and giving her to another house is out of the question, she is not the most subtle of young women."
"Are you suggesting that we kill her Sebastian?"
"That is exactly what I mean."
"Hrrm." Ciel took a sip of tea, tapping his finger on the golden handle. "We will give her a few more weeks here. I have grown . . . rather used to her. She is useful to me at the moment, and will be invaluable when Elizabeth gets here. I will tell you when the time has come." He looked to the demon standing beside him. "In the meantime, do not let her or the others know about this. Do you understand?"
Sebastian's face did not betray whatever he was thinking. "Yes, my lord." He bowed and gathered the young earl's dishes before going to tell the others to prepare for Elizabeth's pending visit.
