I'm am so sorry with the inconsistent uploads! I'm super busy so I don't have the luxury of posting every week or so, but I promise you that I will do my best to finish this with my best work and be more consistent!
Thank you for being so patient, and now we're FINALLY at the Midnight Tea Party!
Enjoy!
"Ahhhh, that was so fun!"
"I think I ate too much though..."
"I'm so tired."
Ciel, Macmillan and the rest of Blue House students walked into their dormitory, bellies filled with food, and eyes heavy with sleepiness. The tournament lasted longer than Ciel had expected, but he was none the less anticipating what was to come.
"Hm?" He stopped in his tracks near his bed.
"What's wrong?" Macmillan asked, curious as to what made his friend suddenly freeze. He stretched his short neck over Ciel's shoulder.
At the foot of Ciel's bed, was an ornate teacup decorated with lunar and starry emblems, and an exotic flower rested on the saucer. All tied neatly together in an extravagant bow atop.
"TH-THAT'S AMAZING!" Macmillan grabbed Ciel's shoulder's, shaking them hard, "You've been invited to the Midnight Tea Party!"
Ciel's eyes widened, Finally! I did it! I finally acquired the right to see the Principal!
"They say that when a beautiful flower blooms under the moon at midnight, they'll come for you." There was no need to ask who "they" were, "So if you wear that flower on your chest, they'll let you in no problem!"
Sebastian opened the door, "Everyone, time for your bath." His wine colored eyes met Ciel's from across the room. They shared a knowing look.
The whereabouts of the missing students... The mysterious Principal...The task set by their Queen sounded out like bells in their minds, We'll unravel it all at the Tea Party!
The night of June 4th, Weston High has settled down from the day's noise. The doors have been locked tightly. Wandering the corridors has been prohibited. Only a handful are allowed to walk around. Those invited to the Tea Party.
"So...my Father gave his approval?"
"That is somewhat correct. Though I'm quite sure that our engagement will be how I'll truly gain his blessing."
Evelyn and Bluer walked through the corridors of Bluer House, having bid goodnight to the students earlier on. The moon cast shadows on the wall that played and danced with the candle lights that hung around the hallways, lighting up Evelyn's pastel blue gown and her midnight black hair.
"I'm sure that there is more to it than that. What are you not telling me?"
"I thought that you would have already known?"
Evelyn looked forward. "Knowing my father, he has told you to make a choice. He didn't say what it was when you came back for the parade. My parents swiftly departed afterwards." She turned her head to Bluer, "What are you not telling me?"
"It's nothing to worry about. All I agreed to was that I would prove myself worthy of your hand when we..." a lump formed in his throat. He swallowed hard. "Court."
Sensing a need to reassure him, Evelyn smiled, saying, "It would take a lot to change my mind, Lawrence. I know you-I'm sure Father will understand in time. But I won't press the matter any further; I sense you're unwilling to speak more of it."
Bluer sighed, "You read me so well."
"As open as a book." Evelyn laughed, "Come now, we must hurry-Ciel will shortly be arriving soon. But I wonder where Wolfie and Lottie have gone..." She trailed off, feeling a comfortable silence falling between them.
They entered the Principal's office, where the rest of the P4 were waiting for them.
"Ah! There's the lovebirds. Had a little private time before the Tea Party?" Redmond winked, "Lawrence, you dog you!"
"REDMOND!"
"Mr Redmond, outside our little social circle, insinuating something like that could be detrimental to my honor!" Evelyn pouted, "You wouldn't treat a friend so cruelly, would you?"
"How dare you treat a lady as such, Redmond! I should give you three Y's for that-at least!" Greenhill scolded Redmond, who only shrugged. "Bluer, Ravenne, I must apologise on Redmond's behalf-since he seems unable to do so himself!"
"Greenhill, it was a jest." Evelyn laughed, albeit wistfully, "...I will miss this."
They did not have the chance to ask what "this" was, when Clayton came in, Ciel following behind, bearing the midnight flower on his breast.
Redmond was the first to recover, "Welcome, Phantomhive, to the elegant-"
"Traditional-" Bluer chimed,
"High class-" Greenhill continued,
"Bizarre-" Violet mumbled,
"Celebration of the Midnight Tea Party." Evelyn finished, just as the clock struck at midnight.
A loud, eerie organ echoed in the vast office, vibrating the air with a melancholy yet powerful sound. Ciel whirled around; Cheslock was conducting the strange sounds, glancing back at Ciel with a smug sneer.
The walls opened up, revealing what was once a hidden passage, the dust built up flew into the air and hung around them like a mist.
"Bluer, since you're the winning Prefect, and Phantomhive is the Cox, perhaps you should lead the way this time?" Greenhill suggested.
"Not until everyone has a light." Eveyln produced a box of matches, heading for the lanterns Bluer, Clayton, Harcourt carried on their person, "It's so dark, I can't see two feet in front of me. It's practically begging for an accident to occur, and too many accidents have taken place for my liking this past while." flashes of an elephant, fires, and guard dogs made Evelyn shudder as she lit the candles.
Evelyn leaned down to Ciel's height, "I know it seems a little redundant, but its a tradition that the Prefect of the winning House leads the other Prefects, their Fags and the Cox to the Party with a light." Her chuckle tickled his ear slightly, "Something to do with the Light of St. George, I believe."
"Evelyn?"
Evelyn slipped her right arm though Bluer's left as they lead the way. "Ready when you are."
"Well then, ladies first." Greenhill stood away to let them through.
There was little talk as the group walked through the pitch-black hallway, and Ciel stayed close to the couple that held the brightest light.
"I wonder if the decorations have been changed." Evelyn mumbled quietly.
"How so?" Bluer asked.
"Well..." Evelyn was unsure how to proceed, "For a long time, the decorations at the Party were in an abundance of green. There were so many shades of green that it nearly hurt my eyes."
"You've been to the Tea Party before?"
"Of course. Last year you were there too."
"You know that wasn't what I meant...Did you spend time with the previous Prefects before us?"
Evelyn looked at him, eyes slightly narrowed, "What do you gain by implying me of something that you know did not occur? I was a guest at Weston, and the Principal thought it would be rude not to at least invite me." She looked away, "My family raised me to not accuse someone unjustly-at least without evidence."
Their voices were never raised, but awkwardness filled the narrow air.
Bluer opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to think better of it. Bluer had already dug himself so deep, his apology was to keep quiet instead of saying anything more about what he subconsciously knew never occurred.
"Trouble in paradise, it seems." Harcourt whispered to Ciel.
"Why are they suddenly arguing? They seemed so..." Ciel swallowed, "In love with each other." He tried not to gag. "What happened?"
Clayton stepped in, "I have a theory that being engaged to Ravenne hasn't fully, excuse the lay term, hit him yet."
"How so?" Harcourt chirped.
"Well, until now, Blue House hasn't won a tournament-the Miracle happened after the ban on having a Bride-this is the first time Blue House has won a tournament and a Bride. So Bluer, naturally, feels a little pressure-and that's without the fact that Ravenne's family has a lot of power."
"...So Bluer is basically insecure that Evelyn will be loyal to him?" Ciel deadpanned.
"...There's not other way to say it more clearly."
They may be older than me, but they are all children. Ciel inwardly groaned. Except maybe Evelyn-at least she seems to have a brain in her head. Only the thought of finally meeting the Principal and getting to the bottom of this mystery would get him through this mindless bore.
Finally, they reached the door. Bluer pushed it open (perhaps somewhat roughly despite it opening easily) and stepped aside, "Ladies first."
Evelyn walked past him, "Thank you." she said curtly, but her tone warmed as Ciel followed her, "Phantomhive, welcome to the Midnight Tea Party."
Ciel's eyes widened. It was a spacious garden, closed off from the world with towering brick walls, and garnished with every flower under the sun (or moon) and the light of the crescent moon shone brightly, there was almost no need for the lanterns that were hanging from ropes crossing the walls.
But that was not why Ciel held his breath.
For at the head of the table, with the Vice Principal standing by his side, was the one man Ciel worked hard to finally meet. That's Weston's absolute ruler...The Principal.
Agares beckoned them over, "Everyone, welcome. Thank you for coming. Please, sit down."
And indeed, the Bride, the Prefects, the Fags, and the Cox took their place, with Ciel sitting at the other end of the table.
"Everyone, the tea has been made." Redmond announced, "Though it's a bit irksome, I suppose that we should toast with it." He faced his friend, "Lawrence, if you please?"
"Well then." Bluer cleared his throat. "To another successful year of protecting tradition, and finishing June 4th..." Bluer glanced at Evelyn, who sat beside him, "And a successful engagement. To Weston, a toas-"
"Wait." All eyes were fixated on Ciel now, "I can't toast from the bottom of my heart like this."
"Phantomhive, what's wrong?"
"There's something that's been bothering me. It's about Derrick Arden and his friends."
The four Prefects, not for the first time, shared a look of horror between them. Evelyn had noticed.
"I can't toast until I've met them."
"Ciel...?" Edward wondered just what his cousin was up to. But a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that it would not end well. For whom, he was unsure.
" , will you hear my story?" Ciel politely pushed his intentions forward.
"Phantomhive! That's rude-" Bluer protested, but Evelyn held her hand up to silence him.
"Be that as it may, the 15th rule of Weston states: At all times, you should share your heart with your friends, and help them out with love." Evelyn's emerald eyes flickered with a hint of sadness, "...That is what it says, Lawrence."
Bluer did not answer her. He did not know how to respond.
"Ciel, I give you my blessing to continue."
Ciel did not need to be told twice. "Derrick Arden, Richard Greenson, Hans Hardy, Robert Issac, and Ewan Thewlis. I have heard that since a year ago, none of them have returned-not even once-and have been cooped up in their dormitories all this time."
"Actually, when I entered this school, their parents requested that I persuade them to come home, at least once. Though..." He looked at Evelyn, "I have a feeling that perhaps you had known why I was here, given our father's history."
Evelyn nodded, "I had my suspicions, though I was never sure. That, I will admit."
"Oh? Is that so?" Agares prompted Ciel.
"But when I tried to meet them, I was met with the most bizarre circumstances. I couldn't even lay eyes on them; The sudden transfer from Red House to Purple House; What was even more bizarre was the day of the fire."
Bluer felt Evelyn tense up beside him. He hesitated, but reached for her hand. Evelyn squeezed his hand back, grateful for the touch.
"All of Purple House was supposed to be evacuated, but they weren't present." Ciel looked at Violet, "But then Violet said this, 'They're all safe'."
Violet looked away.
"Violet...?" Cheslock wondered, hoping for his Prefect to explain himself.
"Violet was probably just upset at the time." Redmond defended his fellow Prefect.
But Evelyn spoke up, voice cold and cutting, "You mean that a Prefect in charge of governing his House would make such a grave mistake?" Her green eyes hardened, daring Redmond to fight back. "It wasn't until you saw Charlotte looking me that you even thought that there may be some students left behind."
"Well, who knows?" Agares said, seemingly insensitive to the woman's near death experience.
Ciel slammed his hands onto the table. "In any case, the truth was that they were not there! 5 students have disappeared from a strictly supervised public school-obviously this is strange?!"
The air was thick with suspicion. "Supposing from my investigations until now, Derrick and the rest are not in this school. The best case scenario-they've escaped. The worst-they're dead."
The Principal who let them change dorms. The P4 who are in charge of the school. It's obvious that these people are hiding something. Until now, they got away with "the Principal decided on it" but with all them gathered here it's useless.
I'm going to dig up all that you're hiding!
"There is a high chance that they were involved in some accident. I know that Weston doesn't accept outside help, but I insist Mr. Principal that you call the Yard!"
"That won't be necessary."
It was Agares.
"What?" Ciel asked, somewhat stunned. Surely they would see to it that the students are safe?!
"Mr. Agares, would you risk the lives of students for the sake of tradition?! Their families deserve to know if they're dead-they deserve some closure! If you won't listen to me, listen to Phantomhive!"
"There is no need to send in the Yard. Because..." Agares pointed to the door behind Ciel, "They're right there."
All eyes stared at the wooden door.
The knob shook, as if struggling to open. It shook more and more erratically, till finally, the door opened, slowly creaking.
"Hey. It smells of tea."
Out of the shadows, dressed to the nines, tophat crowned his head, smile welcoming and friendly-
Stood Derrick Arden.
Hopefully, I can finish this in the maximum FOUR chapters! (One of which will probably be a epilogue or so) Then I will do my best to tend to the stories I stared AGES AGO and have kinda left behind-don't worry, I haven't forgotten them I just have a habit of procrastinating TT_TT
I tried to make it seem that Evelyn and Bluer's relationship isn't perfect-that it isn't a garden of roses, and the two of them are still new to this. But I don't know if it came across as out of place or not...
*sticks a star sticker on my face* You tried
BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH EVELYN, CIEL AND THE P4?! I'M SO EXCITED!