A/N: So, as you can see, I am alive, and apologize profusely for it being more than a year since the last update. If any of you follow my other works, you will have seen that I have hardly posted anything in the last five months because RL has been absolutely crazygonuts. That being said, I only marginally have more time now, so I will have a slow update schedule. I do hope that once things settle and I am able to get a few things off my plate, I can turn my focus to these fics that haven't been updated as often. Until then, I will beg for patience and hope you enjoy these chapters in the meantime. Cheers!

Chapter 12

Once the two strange men had disappeared, Ciel looked around with a frown before he spotted Lau on a nearby rooftop. He scowled as he said, "And where were you?"

Lau chuckled as he climbed down the ladder and said, "I was simply watching for the right time to jump in."

An ungentlemanly snort was heard from Ciel before he pointed in the direction the two strangers had gone. "By the way, who exactly were those two?"

Lau shrugged nonchalantly as he answered, "They are definitely not people that live in the East End. They had pretty clothes, and their accents were nice."

Ciel gave the man a longsuffering look but didn't bother trying to say anything. However, Lucienne, who was still watching the direction the other two had gone with a frown, asked, "If they are not business associates of yours, Mr. Lau, could they be part of the problem? Their apparent wealth would indicate they have an interest in business here in England, and while their countrymen were uncouth in their methods, their complaints are justified."

The furrow between Ciel's brows intensified, but he didn't bother with further speculation. Instead, he turned to where Sebastian was kneeling near the pile of semi-conscious men. The demon butler looked back with a wry smile. "For now, we have more pressing matters to deal with. It would seem our first duty would be to get these men taken to the yard."

The expression on Ciel's face turned sour, even more so when he noticed a few snowflakes. Irritation was evident in his voice when he said, "How bothersome. And in the snow as well." He brushed a flake from the sleeve of his coat before he gestured with his cane and continued, "The criminals may be among them. Let us finish this and return to the townhouse. We can wait there to hear from Commissioner Randall."

For once, Lucienne was pleased with how efficient the demon butler worked. Once the Earl's command was given, Sebastian made quick work of getting the group of men to the nearest station so they could transport them to Scotland Yard. As soon as he was finished, the group headed back to where the carriage was left. Lucienne was only upset that their group included Lau as well.

By the time they made it back to the townhouse, the snow had begun to fall in earnest, which understandably put both Ciel and Lucienne into a foul mood. At least the interior was warm. Ciel's shoulders visibly relaxed as Sebastian took their coats, and a sigh escaped him. The butler barely had them in hand before he said, "Now then, you must be cold. I will serve tea immediately."

Ciel nodded absently as he said, "Do as you will."

It was evident that his mind was not entirely focused on the moment when a new voice added, "Instead of English tea, let's have chai."

Once again, Ciel absently waved the request off and said, "Do as you will." However, almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he spun to see the two men they had run into earlier in the day standing just inside the door. Shock was evident in his voice when he said, "Why the blazes are you here?"

The younger of the two men tilted his head quizzically as he said, "Did you forget? We met earlier." He then stood a little straighter and adopted a confident air as he continued, "In India, it is common to welcome and entertain benefactors. We even have a saying for it. Entertain your guests even if you must sell your treasures."

None were allowed to respond before the young man looked around with a note of confusion as he asked, "Where is the bed?"

Lau, who had still been near the door, was the first to ask what they were all thinking. "Why do you need a bed?"

The young man turned to Lau with a nearly condescending expression as he said, "In my country, it is customary for us to sit together on the bed with guests while we share tea."

Lucienne wasn't sure if she should get involved or not, as Ciel still seemed to be in shock and stumbling over a response. However, it was a moot point when the voice of the other man called from the stairwell. "Prince! I've found the bed! It is this way."

Her shocked gaze shot toward the demon butler to see that he looked just as confused. How had the man managed to get past them both? Not that it mattered at the moment. Both strangers were headed up the stairs as Ciel found his voice. "I said listen to me!"

The younger of the two waved off the yell as he said, "This place is narrow, but I have still decided to stay here."

Ciel was instantly up the stairs behind them, with Sebastian and Luciennce not far behind. She made it to the top of the stairs in time to hear Ciel shout, "Why must I be the one to take care of you?"

The young man ignored the outburst as he plopped onto the bed and bounced a couple of times. He then leaned back and smiled condescendingly as he said, "I didn't consider staying at an inn. Is it common in England to kick out your benefactors?"

Ciel's visible irritation only grew as he said, "Benefactor? How so?"

Thy young man on the bed merely tilted his head a little as he said, "I saved your life. Did you forget already?"

Sebastian was standing directly behind Ciel in the doorway and put a restraining hand on the boy's shoulder as he said, "All that aside, who—"

He was cut off when Ciel yelled, "Just who the heck are you?"

The young man had lain down by that point. His head was resting on his forearms, so he tilted it enough to look at the people standing near the door as he said, "Me? I'm a prince."

Those words stunned Lucienne. Apparently, it did the same to both Ciel and the demon butler. The latter clearly had surprise in his voice as he said, "A prince?"

The young man had turned to lay on his side while the other man stood behind him with a pleased smile as he said, "This person is the 26th child to the king of the princely state of Bengal—Prince Soma Asman Kadar."

Soma smirked at the introduction as he looked directly at Ciel and said, "I think I'm going to stay here for a while, midget."

Lucienne was both stunned and impressed that Ciel hadn't immediately blown up at the jab. He certainly looked as though he wanted to. Unfortunately, he could not find the words to do so before Agni gave them all a grin as he said, "On a cold day such as this, nothing is better than chai tea. So to celebrate our new friendship, allow me to make some for you all." He then nodded at Sebastian as he walked out and said, "Pardon me, but I will borrow your kitchen for a few moments."

The situation bordered on absurdity to the point that Lucienne almost felt sorry for the demon butler as he chased after the other man saying, "Ah, wait a moment. Making tea is sort of my thing."

The two men were not even down the stairs when Ciel finally found his voice. "GET OUT NOW!" Not that yelling did any good. The prince only smiled as if he were being teased.

By that point, Lucienne had seen enough. She crossed her arms and gave the young man a disapproving look as she said, "Really now. In all my years of being a governess, I have never met a child quite as rude as you."

The expression she wore was the one she reserved for the unruliest of boys, and for a moment, it seemed to have gotten through to the prince as he sat up. However, only a few seconds passed before he laughed and said, "All the years? Why, you cannot be much older than the midget."

Lucienne could commiserate with Ciel when his brow twitched. Thankfully she had many years of experience dealing with stubborn children, so his barb did not get to her. Instead, she shook her head with a disappointed look as she said, "Come now, if you have traveled this far, then you must at least know that faces can lie. It would be unwise to estimate my age. Nor would it be prudent to continue this way."

Soma seemed unsure of how to take her no-nonsense attitude and was at a loss for words. Which suited Lucienne just fine as she continued, "Truly, if you are the son of a king, then you must understand the position you have put this household in. We would be honored to serve you tea and join you while we sit and get to know one another, but you have given us no warning. This bed is unsuitable for those kinds of actions. Instead, why don't we all retire to the sitting room and see if our butler can find nice fluffy pillows for us to place by the fire in the sitting room? Would that not be more comfortable?"

By the time she was finished speaking, Soma's frown had turned into a grin as he jumped up. He put a friendly hand on her shoulder and Ciel's as he said, "Indeed. It would seem that at least one person in this household understands courtesy. Let us go sit by the fire!" With a last pat, he turned to head down the stairs.

Soma had not made it halfway down the stairs before he called out. "Where is the sitting room?"

Ciel's brow twitched again, but his glare was pointed right at Lucienne as he said, "Would you care to tell me what that was about? I do believe I told them to get out."

Lucienne nodded as she headed for the door but kept her voice low as she answered, "Yes, but we both know he would not listen. You would have had Sebastian try to evict them, and little good it would do. Plus, we need to at least verify they are not somehow involved in the current investigation, no?"

They had followed Soma down the stairs at a far more sedate pace, so they were not quite to the bottom when Ciel paused and gave Lucienne an evaluating look. However, he didn't say anything.

Their attention was diverted when Agni and Sebastian came from the kitchen and stopped when they saw Soma standing in the middle of the room and looking around quizzically. Agni gave his master a confused look as he asked, "My Lord, was there something wrong with the bed?"

Soma laughed as he gestured toward Lucienne and said, "I saw nothing, but the lady pointed out that it was not adequate for all of us. Instead, she suggested that we bring pillows to place around the fire so that we may share tea and warm ourselves inside and out."

Agni's face instantly lit up, and he gave Lucienne a shallow bow as he said, "What an excellent suggestion. You have my thanks and that of my lord." He then turned to Soma and said, "Please allow me to serve you while the tea is still hot. Then I will locate the appropriate pillows so that you may rest comfortably."

Sebastian lifted one brow and looked at Lucienne with a hint of a smirk. However, he didn't get to ask before Ciel waved the issue off with a bored expression as he said, "I am cold and do not wish to wait for my tea. Finish this quickly."

The demon butler bowed smoothly as he said, "As you wish, Young Master." He then turned to Agni and said, "Allow me to bring the pillows, as I know where they are stored. Please focus on serving the tea."

Agni smiled brightly as he said, "You have my thanks." With that, the two butlers headed in opposite directions while the rest followed Agni into the sitting room. Even so, Lucienne did not miss the flash of a smirk on Sebastian's lips as he caught Ciel's eye. She didn't blame the boy for his frown, but nothing was said.

While the group waited for Sebastian to gather their pillows, they sat on the nearby couches. Ciel looked like he wanted nothing to do with any of them, and Soma was busy praising Agni for the smell of the tea he was pouring. That left Lucienne to focus on Lau. She frowned slightly as she said, "Mr. Lau, could you please explain why you are still here? I do believe our discussion has concluded for the day, has it not?"

The man folded his arms in his sleeves and gave her a serene smile as he said, "It is always interesting to see what antics the Earl gets into." Lucienne had to supress a sigh. Somehow, she was not surprised. Her time in the household had already been filled with one incident after another. She had a feeling things would not slow down anytime soon, either.

She didn't bother with a reply, but she wouldn't have had a chance anyway. By the time Agni was done pouring the tea, Sebastian was back with an armload of pillows in one hand and a low table in the other. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered where he had managed to find the table as it was not the type one would typically find in an English household, but that was the least of the issues. Once again, she pondered why no one else suspected the male of being more than human.

At least the two guests were impressed enough to not pay the sight any mind. Soma was gushing over the arrangement as Sebastian laid everything out neatly in front of the fire, and Agni was complimenting the layout as he set the cups in front of each pillow.

Soma had already made himself comfortable and grinned at Agni after he took a sip of tea. Ciel glared at the pillow in front of him as though it had personally offended every one of his sensibilities, which almost made Lucienne laugh, but she managed to hold it in as she gracefully knelt on the pillow she was offered. The boy's glare transferred to her as she made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as possible, while kneeling in petticoats and boots. At least he didn't say anything before he finally took his seat as well.

When Agni moved to stand next to Sebastian, Lucienne gestured toward the one empty pillow and said, "Mr. Agni, why don't you join us? You are a guest here, after all."

The man gave her a soft smile as he shook his head and responded, "Many thanks for your kindness, but it is not my place. For Lord Soma, it is proper, but I am a mere butler. I will take my place at his side, where I belong."

Lucienne could tell it would do no good to ask again, so instead, she focused on Ciel as he asked, "Why are you in London, and how long do you intend to stay here?"

The expression on Soma's face fell into something a little more somber as he reached inside the pouch at his side and drew out a sheet of paper. When he passed it over, he said, "We are here to find this woman. I will stay until we find her."

Ciel's eyes widened when he got the first glimpse of the drawing, and he blinked a few times without a word. The expression piqued Lucienne's curiosity to the point that she had to lean over a little so she could see. When she caught sight of the image, she immediately had to purse her lips to keep from laughing. No wonder Ciel seemed to be at a loss for words.

Not that Soma noticed. The young man continued with a smile. "Her name is Mina. She was a maidservant at my palace." He then paused to take a bite of one of the delicacies that accompanied the tea before he continued, "I drew that; isn't it great? I am sure that you will recognize her immediately with that in hand. Isn't she a beauty?"

Ciel sighed before he looked up at Sebastian, who had leaned in so he could look over the boy's shoulder. "Can you find her with this?"

It took all Lucienne had not to laugh at the demon butler's expression as he said, "Even for me that is—" He cut off when Ciel frowned up at him. The boy clearly did not want to accept no as an answer, and Sebastian sighed as he continued, "Of course, My Lord. I'll try my best then."

Despite the reasons they were in the current predicament, or maybe because things were so ludicrous, Lucienne didn't bother to hide a giggle when Lau took the picture and hummed at it before he said, "My, my, I have never seen a lady so lovely."

Ciel looked as though he almost choked on his tea as Lau handed the picture back to Soma. The boy had to clear his throat before he could say, "If she was your maidservant, why is this woman in London?"

Unfortunately, the question seemed to fall on deaf ears. Soma had already turned to Agni with questions about where they should look the following day. Had the two been paying attention, they might have paused at the heated glare Ciel sent their way, but it was gone within seconds.

The boy cleared his throat once more and tugged at his cuffs before he looked up with indifference as he spoke a little louder and said, "While I wish you luck in your search, I am afraid that I have duties I must attend to this evening. Sebastian can let you know when dinner will be served and show you to your rooms. Once his responsibilities are completed tomorrow, if you still have not found this missing woman, he will assist."

He did not pause before he took Sebastian's hand for support and stood from the low table. Once he was on his feet, he maintained his dignified expression and nodded at each of his guests before he said, "If you would excuse me." He then turned to Sebastion and said, "I will be in my study. Please bring the evening meal to me, as I do not anticipate having time to rest after the current delays."

Lucienne had no doubt the excuse was utter rubbish, but she saw no reason to call him out. Instead, she waited until he was gone before she looked back at the guests with a sigh. She was not the lady of the house, nor was she in a position to be the entertainer, but if she did nothing, she could well see the young prince finding a reason to bother Ciel despite his declaration.

Any humor she had felt previously evaporated as she caught the demon butler smirking at her before he turned to Agni to speak of their shared duties in whispered tones. It rankled to know the demon was just as aware of the situation as she was and drew pleasure from it. However, that did not keep her from turning to the prince with a soft smile as she said, "I would be fascinated to hear of your travels. I have not been out of England since I left France, but I have heard tales that your country is quite beautiful."

Lucienne kept her sigh internal as the prince grinned before he launched into a tale of the many things they had seen while traveling to London and the varied wonders of his homeland. It wasn't that she had no interest, but she had not needed the skills of a hostess in many years. She only hoped Ciel appreciated the position he had put her in—unwittingly or not.