Eleanora was in the kitchen, humming to herself. It had been a horrible three weeks—the first with her coma, the second and the third ones being forced to recover—but now it was all over and she was allowed to get up and walk around and work again. Oh, it was glorious to be alive.

She was about to go and wash the dishes when she paused. There was someone—no, two someones—outside the kitchen door. She registered this a few seconds before the door was cut open and two men strode in, as if they owned the place.

"I'm coming in!" someone said—someone who's voice sounded cold and metallic…like a triangle instrument. "Is Earl Phantomhive in?"

"Who wants to know?" Eleanora asked, glaring at them. The one in the front was the one who had spoken; the one behind him seemed a bit warmer than the first one, albeit still very cold.

"Don't play games with me, little girl," Triangle-Voice said. "You're going to lose. Now, where is the Earl Phantomhive?"

"You're Charles," Eleanora said. "You're the Queen's butler."

The smell of surprise glided out of his skin, just like with his name and occupation.

"How did you know that? Who are you?"

"You have a message from the Queen," Eleanora continued. "You're here about…let's see…some kind of…party?"

The man in the back smelled a little impressed, but there was a wave of fear from the metallic one and Eleanora just had time to think "oh shit" when he attacked.

She dodged just in time and saw his sword slice through the air as he tried to attack again. Plan, plan; she needed a plan; she needed to escape; she needed to fight…

Time slowed down and she knew what she had to do. She knew what the man's next move would be; where his sword would go; how his sword would slash; all of his weak points; so defenseless…She suddenly knew everything; her senses came alive; there was a flash of blue fire and then he was on the floor, with his sword in her hand and both of them—her sword and his—pointed at his throat.

The man gasped; his skin turned both savage and scared—a delightful combination. Eleanora licked her lips. She wondered what his blood would taste like…

"Eleanora," someone said behind her. "Get off of him."

Damn, the butler. And she had been having so much fun…She obediently got off the man but didn't give back his sword.

The man staggered to his feet, spluttering with rage.

"You—How did you—But I—But I'm—"

"Please pardon our maid," Sebastian said to the man, bowing low to him. "But she acted in self-defense. May I ask why you are here?"

"We must see the Earl of Phantomhive," the other man said, stepping forward and speaking for the first time. His voice—surprisingly—sounded rather nice, a bit like a drum. "We have to speak with him."

Sebastian bowed again.

"Certainly. If you'd follow me, please, gentlemen. Eleanora, clean up this mess," he called over his shoulder and left with the two men.

Eleanora mechanically began clearing the kitchen. She wasn't upset. On the contrary, she was exhilarated. She had never felt so alive, so…so…Eleanora. Her vampire instincts had finally kicked in and she loved it. She wanted blood. She wanted to drink it and she wanted to know everything and she wanted to fight and she wanted to live. Living with her mother wasn't life. Being a maid at Phantomhive wasn't life. Even living with her grandparents and fighting golems every day wasn't life! This was life. Being a vampire was life.

She grinned at the sword, the sword that she had magically created out of her blue fire. It was her sword. She smirked at the other sword, the sword that she had collected from that man. This was her sword as well; it was a spoil of battle that she had won. She had never been so proud of herself. She couldn't wait to tell the butler about her awakening. She couldn't wait to tell him that she was finally—finally—a real unholy.

But all that could wait until later. There would always be plenty of time to talk with him. She licked her teeth—ah, those beautiful fangs!—and finished cleaning the kitchen.

"Yes," she thought, "I can always talk with him. It's not as if he's going anywhere."