Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji or any of the characters. They belong to Yana Toboso.
Prince Soma woke up as soon as he heard the curtains being drawn. The orange morning sun shone through the window.
"It is time to rise and shine, my prince," came the low, soft-spoken voice of his attendant Agni. There was an edge of excitement in his tone.
Soma suddenly realised what day it was and eagerly sprang up from his luxurious bedsheets. Agni kneeled by his bedside.
"Happy Birthday, my prince," he said, beaming.
Soma grinned back and dashed to the wardrobe, skimming through an array of brightly-coloured outfits.
"What shall we do today, Agni? You have permission to skip out on your usual chores; I don't want to spend the day alone. Perhaps we could go out on our Free Curry rounds!"
Agni blinked.
"Are you sure you want to do this on your birthday? It's very good of you to do so, but-"
"Yes! Someone who aspires to be a true gentleman can't pick and choose what day to be a gentleman on. It has to be a constant thing." Soma held up a yellow garment which looked like it would just about cover the top of his ribcage. "How about this?"
"Well…" Agni started carefully. " In England it seems to be etiquette to cover your torso when out in town. And when we're in Rome, we have to do as the Romans do."
Soma laughed.
"Silly Agni, we're not in Rome!" he teased before pulling out something longer. "But I guess you're right. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention, do we?" He smiled at Agni's confused expression, which looked like he was trying to decide if Soma was being ironic. Soma just thought it was the kind of thing a gentleman might say, but to him, no attention was ever unwanted.
"I shall see to preparing the curry while you dress, Lord Soma," Agni said with a bow. "It is Red Lobster Curry, one of your favourites." Naturally, he hadn't made Blue Homard, or Blue Lobster Curry, since the curry contest. Soma wondered if it brought back shameful memories for him.
"Goody, let's start the day as always with some divine curry."
Soma relished how casually he could talk about divinity. He couldn't have found a better chef in the whole world. Agni's power truly came from the gods. Sometimes Soma felt Agni's talent was wasted on making food for him alone most of the time.
He watched Agni turn to leave. With a thoughtful frown, he stated, "Agni."
His servant turned back.
"Yes, my prince?"
Soma chewed his lip awkwardly.
"I'm now eighteen."
Agni smiled.
"Yes, it's a special year."
"So now…" Soma took a deep breath. "I'm an adult."
Agni's smile faded. He now looked puzzled.
"Yes, that's right…and?"
"Just…" Soma closed his eyes, embarrassed. "I just thought it important that you should know."
"I-Indeed, Lord Soma." There was a long pause before Agni smiled again. "An adult you are, and a fine one too. Naturally you'll want to be treated with respect, and I'm sure people will do so. Now, I had better go downstairs to serve the curry, but do come down for breakfast when you want to." He said this all rather quickly, and left in a hurried way.
Soma folded his arms up around the back of his head, annoyed with himself. Why did he come out and say these things? Why did he have to make it sound awkward? He didn't even know why he thought it so important to remind Agni of his adulthood. But…he wanted him to remember, for some reason.
I'm an adult now…how odd, he thought as he pulled on his standard outfit of bright red and equally bright blue. But how fun too, he added with a snicker. I can't wait to lord it over my little friend Ciel.
Balancing the curry dishes on one arm, Agni walked to the front door to collect the mail. Considering his master was a prince, the pile of letters was pitifully small. His thumb caught on one which was not a letter, but a note left on a business card. The handwriting was written in such immaculate handwriting he knew instantly it was from his friend Sebastian, the astonishingly competent butler to Prince Soma's best friend, young Earl Ciel Phantomhive.
Please come to the alley west of the harbour at 12.30 today. A matter of great importance to my master has arisen, so please keep this matter at your discretion.
The prince was sitting at the table when Agni entered the dining room, his legs hanging over the arm of his chair.
"My prince, adults usually sit at the table with their feet on the ground," Agni stated with an amused smile as his master swivelled in his chair to face him. "These are addressed to you," he said, handing them to the prince.
He made as if to stand back, but Soma stopped him.
"Sit with me."
"My prince, that would not be prudent-"
Soma gave a dismissive laugh.
"It's my birthday and hence yet another day where I get what I want, and today I'd like a breakfast companion. So sit!"
Agni sheepishly mumbled a "Jo Aagyaa" before taking a seat at the extensive table. He watched quietly as Soma started messily tearing through the envelopes. The eighteen-year-old didn't seem to mind how few there were.
"People wouldn't think to send me mail to a house belonging to Ciel, and few people know where we are anyway, so…" He broke off as he laughed at a pink, flowery card. "Look here what Lizzie says! 'Dear Prince, I hope you have the cutest day ever' – how can a day be cute, Agni? – 'and have a nice time being eighteen. I have a surprise for you, if you could come to the Phantomhive Mansion at 7 o'clock sharp tonight. Please, please, please come, because a night celebrating you would be that much better if you were there! Kind regards, Lady Elizabeth Midford, AKA Lizzie.' Ha ha, we can't really say no, can we?"
"Given that letter, and the fact that another of the letters is noted as being from the Midford household, it might be a wise option to attend," Agni replied with a bemused smile.
Soma took the letter Agni was referring to and tore it open a bit more timidly.
"'Kadar, turn up to the surprise birthday party my little sister is planning for you, or else. I don't want her efforts to go to waste. Midford. P.S. Have a nice birthday.'"
Agni laughed.
"The key to surprises is to not say what is happening. Lord Edward means well. Actually that reminds me; this note came from Mister Sebastian today."
Soma took it from him and grinned.
"Maybe Ciel is planning a party for me too!"
"Um…" To Agni, the note did not sound like it was suggesting any sort of celebration, unless Lord Ciel took party planning to a level of utmost seriousness. Soma chuckled and gave Agni a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"I'm kidding! Seriously, could you imagine that prospect?" He paused with a concerned look. "Were you planning on anything for tonight, Agni?"
"I did have a little something prepared, but tomorrows exist for this sort of occasion." The smile he received from his master at this sent warmth flowing through his body.
Soma rested his elbows on the table.
"Agni?" he began tentatively. "I was wondering…I know this is an off chance, but…I don't suppose there was anything sent to me from my parents, or any of my siblings, was there? Maybe not a present, but a letter or card or…anything?"
Agni shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, I'm sorry."
Soma's bright smile slipped, but was quickly fixed back into place.
"Oh well, it was unlikely anyway. I'm sure there's a reason, like maybe it's difficult to send letters from India all the way to England, or they are very busy, being the Royal Family of Bengal and all, or…"
Or maybe they forgot about their twenty-sixth child, as per usual, a voice in Agni's head suggested angrily. He refrained from stating this.
"I'm sure there's a reason," he said gently. "Still, I imagine they're wishing you a great day right now from where they are."
Soma's smile became more genuine.
"Indeed. Now, let's not let your delicious curry go cold! This looks amazing. You have some too, there's loads here – come on, don't look at me like that, it's not against, um, 'equitette' or whatever if there's only you and me in this house! You can share my plate, it'll save washing up." He drew a line through the rice with his fork. "This is your half and this is mine, let's have no fork fencing. Then we can go and save the world as usual."
"Feed the hungry, yes."
Agni stole a glance at Soma as the latter munched happily on spiced lobster. Soma's honey brown eyes were shining with innocent glee, no doubt thinking about the happy faces they were to see later on the murkier streets of London. Agni felt a wave of fondness rush through him. He found it endearing that Prince Soma believed they could simply 'save the world' by going outside and helping everyone they could, even though Agni himself knew deep down it was an impossible task. There would always be fortune determined by the position people were born into, always people who lose their way and commit more bad than good, always demons preying on those who had lost all hope.
Still, Agni knew Soma was capable of extraordinary power. When Arshad had fallen deep into the depths of despair, Soma had single-handedly pulled him out again, swept away the shattered pieces of his world and given him a new one. After struggling alone for so long, Agni had been so relieved to feel like someone was looking after him. In exchange, he would look after his saviour in return.
Then maybe, working together, they could look after other people too.
Soma put down his fork.
"Agni, let's go out and do our best today."
Agni bowed his head.
"Jo Aagyaa."
