I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Mourning
'thoughts'
"speech"
"Demonic speech"
{setting/stage directions?}
SOUND EFFECTS
An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.
=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift
Previously:
"In any case..." Sebastian said as he removed his glove to reveal a 'ring' similar to Chêne's on his left ring finger.
"You are now bound to me for all of eternity, until death do us part." Sebastian said, his crimson eyes glowing as he smirked devilishly at her.
CLANG! CLANG!
"Kyaah...ahaha!" Three children laughed and ran along the outside of the churchyard's fence, as they dragged a stick along the fence, making a racket.
"Big bruver!" A little boy called as he stopped to look at the church.
"Hm?" The older boy asked as he and the little girl with them stopped to stare too.
"There sure are a lot of people at the church over there, huh? Why?" The little boy asked curiously.
"Dunno." The older boy said thoughtfully. There were lots of people dressed in black entering the church. Their clothes looked fancy, like they belonged to the upper class.
"Big bruver is big, but he doesn't know? Are you a dummy?" The little boy asked skeptically. "Booo."
"Dummy?" The little girl asked curiously.
"Wha—!? I'm only twelve, so I don't hafta know!" The older boy yelled indignantly, vein mark throbbing on his forehead.
"Yes. Quite right. It makes perfect sense for a child not to know." Undertaker said creepily as he suddenly loomed over the children from the other side of the fence. The three children turned blue with shock and trembled in fear of the mysterious man. "Hee! Hee! You see, today... they are holding a certain noblewoman's gala." Undertaker said, grinning.
"Gala...?" The older boy asked nervously.
"Yes. The last, grandest ceremony of her life." Undertaker said, smiling as he held finger to his lips. "Her funeral."
=†=†=†=†=
{Inside the church}
Lizzie stood before Madam Red's coffin, which had been placed in front of the altar. Lau watched silently from his seat in one of the pews. For once, the Chinese man wasn't smiling. His expression was just as solemn as those around him. A few of the women in attendance were sniffling and crying softly as they mourned the Madam. Tears threatened to fall from Lizzie's eyes as she sniffed.
"Aunt An..." Lizzie said sadly as she gazed down at her aunts coffin. Madam Red had been dressed in a simple white dress, and her coffin was lined with white lilies. Her hands had been arranged so that she was holding a lily and a rosary.
CHAK.
The mourners filling the church began to murmur amongst themselves when the church doors opened, and someone stood at the entrance. Lizzie's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to see who the latecomer was. It was Ciel. He was wearing all black, except for the red rose pinned to the lapel of his coat. He was holding a brilliant red dress. Sebastian and Chêne stood behind him. Sebastian was holding Ciel's top hat for him and wearing his usual black coat and butler uniform, but Chêne was wearing a modified version of her maid uniform that was completely black, without an ounce of color on it. She was also wearing a black mourning hat that had a veil on it, and she was wearing black gloves. She held a single red rose.
"Ciel..!" Lizzie said surprised. 'A red dress...!?' She thought, wondering what her fiancé was planning.
CLICK.
Ciel stepped forward into the church, followed by Chêne. Sebastian remained by the door as the two of them processed down the aisle. They ignored the whispers of the other mourners as they approached Madam Red's coffin. Sebastian watched solemnly, his face half cast in shadow, as they drew closer to Madam Red and the church altar. Lau looked slightly surprised when they passed him. Lizzie held a hand to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes, as she watched. Ciel and Chêne came to a stop in front of Madam Red's coffin.
FLAP.
"—White flowers... and plain clothes... do not befit you." Ciel said, smiling down softly at his aunt as he laid the red dress over her. "What suits you best... is passionate red." Ciel said as he removed the rose from his lapel and tucked it into Madam Red's hair. "The color of Lycoris that blazes the earth... Aunt An." Ciel said, smiling fondly as he called Madam Red just as he had when he was younger, and he leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. Chêne smiled sadly as she watched, glad that Ciel was making the most of his final farewell to his beloved aunt.
FLUTTER~
"—Ah." Lizzie said softly as she watched red rose petals flutter gracefully in the air as a gentle breeze blew them into the church. The whole church stared in awe at the beautiful sight as the elegant sight and scent of crimson rose petals filled the air. The rose petals were being blown into the church from the hearse that was waiting to take the Madam to her final resting place. The Undertaker grinned as he stood beside it with Sebastian. He had made sure to fill it full of brilliant red roses at Ciel's request. Ciel gazed down at his aunt as he remembered her energetic and loving smile.
"—Good night... Madam Red." Ciel said solemnly as he straightened back up and took a step back, looked down upon his aunt's coffin. She looked so peaceful, as if she were merely sleeping.
"... I hope you are able to rest in peace... Madam." Chêne said, smiling sadly as she tucked the thornless red rose she had been holding into Madam Red's hand. The passionate red rose now lay alongside the pure white lily.
=†=†=†=†=
DONG. DONG.
The church bells could be heard ringing in the distance as Ciel, Sebastian, and Lau stood before Madam Red's fresh grave. They were the only ones who still lingered after the funeral service had ended. Ciel had dismissed Chêne so that she could speak to Undertaker about something.
"You are not reporting the true identity of Jack the Ripper to the Queen?" Lau asked. They had told him most of the truth... except for how Grell was Madam Red's Grim Reaper accomplice, of course.
"—... There is no need to do so..." Ciel said solemnly. "... As Jack the Ripper is no longer in London."
"—And thus... do you become further mired in the mud." Lau said cryptically.
"...?" Ciel said, furrowing his brow slightly as he looked at Lau.
"Even if you reach a place from whence you cannot return... you will never utter an unsightly scream or beg for help in front of anybody. You proud... hound of the queen." Lau said, his face cast partially in shadow. "I shall be careful myself... to avoid falling into my Lord's 'care'."
"The addictive nature of opium is becoming a problem. It is but a matter of time before it becomes regulated in Great Britain." Ciel said calmly, readjusting his hat. "And if that happens, the opium dens you Chinamen are operating will have to be shut down."
"Then I will come up with another business." Lau said simply. "I am still interested in this country. And in you as well... my Lord." Sebastian glanced at Lau out the corner of his eye. His eyes opened slightly as he leaned in close to Ciel, and laid a hand on the young earl's shoulder. "I expect you will continue... to amuse me." Lau said, his face cast in shadow as he smirked. Lau then straightened up and left them, having already said everything that he felt needed to be said.
"Sebastian, we have some place to be. Chêne is already there, waiting for us. Come." Ciel said, turning and walking away. Sebastian followed, wondering what his young master and Chêne were up to.
=†=†=†=†=
"Has something changed about you, Miss Maid?" The under taker asked Chêne, poking her in the cheek. Chêne smiled wryly, but there was a subtle hint of sadness in her eyes.
"I feel the same as I always have. Perhaps it's because I usually have some find of color on in addition to black? I've never dressed completely in black before, like this, after I started working for Ciel." Chêne said as she knelt down and laid a bouquet of white lilies on top of the grave, now that Undertaker had finished burying the poor soul. She made the sign of the cross, and began to quietly pray for the soul of the deceased. She didn't know if God would hear her prayers anymore, but it was more comforting to think that he did. Although Chêne didn't usually flaunt her faith, She had always found great comfort in it when times were hard. Undertaker leaned on the tombstone as she prayed, grinning like a Cheshire cat... almost as if he found the idea of Chêne praying slightly amusing.
"—Undertaker. Are you done?" Ciel asked as he and Sebastian walked up to join them. Sebastian was a little surprised to see Chêne praying after everything that had happened. Most humans would be angry, and would probably turn their backs on God if they had found out they would probably be denied entrance into Heaven... Then again, Chêne wasn't exactly human anymore, even if her soul was...
"Of course. I cleaned her up and buried her. See?" Undertaker said as he hopped off of the tombstone, and motioned to the name that had been carved into it. "My last client in the Jack the Ripper incident." Undertaker said, grinning. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw the name on the tombstone.
Mary Jane Kelly.
"It seems she was an immigrant from over seas. We could not find a soul to claim her body." Ciel explained as he removed his hat once again, and handed it to Sebastian.
"And so the kind Earl built a grave for the nameless whooore! And Miss Maid here gave me some chrysanthemum seeds to mix into the grave's soil. So she'll always have flowers blooming on her grave once they sprout, even if no one visits! Hee! Hee! Hee!" Undertaker said, grinning as he poked Ciel in the cheek. Ciel sweat dropped, obviously not pleased by the Undertaker's invasion of his personal space.
"... Even if she was a prostitute, she was still someone's daughter... She was still a fellow human being." Chêne said sadly as she stood up, and brushed the dirt off of her skirt. She had finished her prayers for Mary Jane Kelly and Madam Red's souls.
"I am not kind... I... knew." Ciel said, tightening his grip on his walking stick. "I knew that I would be unable to save this woman. If I had only... thought of her life first... There were any number of ways to rescue her that night. But I did not attempt any of them." He said solemnly. Chêne closed her eyes sadly. "I knew... that I would not... save her life." Ciel said. Sebastian glanced at Ciel. "I knew... and I let her die. Just as I let my only flesh and blood die..."
"... Do you regret it?" Undertaker asked Ciel.
"No. Jack the Ripper is no more." Ciel said seriously. "The pall cast upon Queen Victoria has now been lifted." Chêne furrowed her brow slightly and bit her lip as she held back her tears. She wasn't going to cry yet. Sebastian watched her out the corner of his eye.
"Queen Victoria, hm? Can't say I like her onnnne bit!" Undertaker said. "She looks on from afar... and makes the Earl handle aaaaall the tough dirty work."
"That is the fate of our family. It has been handed down for generations together with this ring." Ciel said, closing his eyes as he raised his hand to show Undertaker the family ring that he was wearing on his thumb.
"That ring is practically a collar, hmm?" Undertaker said, grinning, as he placed his hands on Ciel's shoulder and leaned on the young earl. "It binds you to the queen through chains of fate."
"The one who decided to put that collar around this neck... was I." Ciel said, stepping away from Undertaker.
GRAB!
"!" Ciel said, surprised when the Undertaker suddenly grab his tie and yanked Ciel closer to him by his tie.
"What're you—!?" Chêne said, startled. She took a step forward to stop him, but Sebastian placed a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head, silently telling her not to interfere.
"I pray you do not hang yourself with it someday." Undertaker said darkly as he leaned down slightly and tilted Ciel's face up by his chin, so he could look the boy right in the eyes. Ciel grit his teeth and furrowed hi brow at the other man. "I would find that gravely disappointing." Undertaker told him, smirking as he released his hold on Ciel's tie. Ciel coughed and loosened his tie again as he took a step away from Undertaker. "Feel free to visit me. Milord, Miss Maid, and Master Butler are welcome anytime. Hee! Hee...!" Undertaker said as he skipped merrily off into the distance. It was just the three of them now... They were finally alone.
"Uuh..." Chêne sobbed softly as she finally let her tears fall. "Uwaaaaaaah!" Chêne cried, screaming like a banshee as she suddenly collapsed to the ground, kneeling as she cried her eyes out, as if she were experiencing a pain and despair beyond imagination. Her heart wrenching cries echoed throughout the graveyard. Sebastian stared solemnly at her. He knew this was coming, but... Chêne's anguished cries sounded far too much like the screams of the damned for his liking. This was worse than he had imagined. Ciel stared at Chêne, shocked to see her suddenly break down so violently. Chêne had never been one to cry easily, but now...
"Wha—What's wrong!?" Ciel asked her, alarmed.
"I-It's just... hic... that so much has happened... All those women d-died... M-Madam Red, too... and I-I've... I've lost my humanity for good...!! It hurts—It hurts so much!!" Chêne sobbed as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "—But I know that I just sitting around and wallowing in self-pity and being depressed won't solve anything... So I decided that I would cry all I wanted to today. Today... just for today, I'm going to cry until I run out of tears and scream until my lungs give out—So that when tomorrow comes, I'll have gotten it out of my system—and I'll be able to smile properly again...!" Chêne said determinedly through her cries of grief and anguish. "I'll cry your share too Ciel... because I know that you won't let yourself show any signs of weakness—So I'll cry enough for the both of us while I'm at it!"
"..." Sebastian said as he watched. He did not know how to comfort someone, and had no real experience in doing so. Chêne was usually the one who handled things like that, but now... Sebastian was not sure how she would react if he tried, seeing as how he was the main cause for her pain. It might simply make things worse if he spoke now... However, Sebastian had to admit that Chêne was much stronger than he had given her credit for. Most humans wouldn't be able to have the strength and resolve it would require to recover and to move on from such a hopeless situation, where their life was no longer their own, as she was in. He smiled slightly. The solution to purge all the negative feelings from within herself in one day, so that she could enjoy the rest of her life, was very like Chêne. She never let anyone or anything hold her back. She was a fighter to the core. He glanced at Ciel. Ciel furrowed his brow and stared down solemnly at Chêne as she kneeled on the ground and screamed and cried at the top of her lungs, like a woman possessed, venting all of her pain and frustration. Ciel tentatively reached out, and gently placed his hand on her head, not knowing what else to do. Chêne began to cry even harder, but she seemed to relax a little at Ciel's touch. His young master, as awkward as he looked, was doing his best to comfort Chêne, and was patting her on the head, like one would comfort a wailing infant.
"—You truly are kind." Sebastian told Ciel. As he placed Ciel's over coat, that he had been holding, over Ciel's shoulders. The sun was starting to set now, and a cool breeze was blowing. Sebastian smiled softly as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.
"Do not make me repeat myself." Ciel said. "I am no such thing—"
"Oh, but you are." Sebastian said, smiling as he began to remove his coat. He knelt down beside Chêne and wrapped his coat around her. Chêne wasn't quite as sensitive to the cold now, but she could still get a chill if she wasn't careful. "Or would you rather... I address you as a 'coward'?" Sebastian asked, smirking darkly at Ciel.
"...!" Ciel said, glaring at the demon butler, clearly disturbed by what he had just heard. Chêne had stopped crying, and was now staring at Sebastian, shocked. Why was he saying that?
"Heh!" Sebastian said, laughing cynically at the look on Ciel's face.
"You bastard..." Ciel muttered darkly, not the least bit amused.
"Why did you not shoot?" Sebastian asked Ciel pointedly. Ciel looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "'Just as I let my own flesh and blood die...'? I do not approve of lying, Sir. Especially to one who has pledged their utmost loyalty and honesty towards yourself." Sebastian said darkly. He smirked evilly at Ciel, as he caressed Chêne's cheek, gently wiping away a few of her remaining tears. Since she seemed to have gained a small amount of comfort from Ciel's touch, he decided that perhaps he should try that approach as well.
"Wh-What...?" Chêne asked, eyes wide with surprise. The only reason she wasn't blushing too was because she was too distraught and surprised at the moment to register that Sebastian was holding and caressing her.
"You probably did not notice since it was hidden under his clothing, Chêne, but our young master had a pistol on his person that night." Sebastian explained as he brushed his hand through her hair. He glanced back at Ciel. "You could have simply shot her if you so desired. Instead, you hesitated, and Chêne had to save you by sacrificing herself. Even when I urged you to do so... You did not take up your gun. Why was that? Were you afraid to kill Madam Red... by your own hand?" Sebastian asked Ciel cynically, smirking darkly. His demonic eyes glowed like burning embers as he stared at Ciel. "Though you were able to send a stranger to her death, and nearly let Chêne die... You couldn't do so for your kin?" Sebastian said mercilessly. Chêne closed her eyes, furrowing her brow.
"That's enough, Sebastian!" Chêne said, gripping his wrist as he moved to caress her cheek. "What's done is done. Why are you saying all of these things now!?" Her eyes were glowing electric green again, showing just how raw she still was emotionally.
"..." Ciel said as he glanced at Chêne. He closed his eyes briefly before facing Sebastian again. "Because that was your job." Ciel told the demon butler, staring him straight in the eye. "I did not shoot, because I believed... that Chêne was strong enough to take care of herself, and that... you'd protect me even if you died doing so."
"...!" Sebastian said, eyes widening slightly in surprise. Chêne blinked, also surprised. She was glad for the vote of confidence, but... she was only human—or at least she had been only human... according to Sebastian, she'd be able to heal almost just as well as him now.
"The covenant between you and I... holds that you will assist me until I 'achieve my objectives'... and protect my life 'until that day comes to pass.' It would have been a breach of contract if I'd died there." Ciel said. "If it is a devil's aesthetic to obey a covenant... you would have come to my rescue even if you perished in the process. A devil possesses neither 'beliefs,' nor 'loyalty.' He has only his 'aesthetic,' his philosophy. And you will protect me in its name. Therefore... you would have killed Madam Red... thus saving me the trouble of having to do it myself. Isn't that so?"
"Then why... did you stop me?" Sebastian asked, still looking a little skeptical about Ciel's explanation.
"Madam Red defiled the public sphere with the powers of the underworld. Thus she must be judged in the proper place. And let's not forget, my duty includes saving the yard's face as well. Also... although I did not realize how severe Chêne's wound was, I had thought we could make her treat Chêne's wound until we were able to get her to a hospital, seeing as she was a doctor." Chêne smiled softly. She knew Ciel cared, even if he didn't want to admit it.
"..." Ciel said as he watched a flock of dark birds fly off into the sunset. "Madam Red's eyes held doubt when she made her attempt on my life. I felt... that she... would not be able to kill her kin. If one wavers at any moment, it may very well be at the loss of one's life. Just as in chess. She hesitated and lost sight of her next move. That is all. So I will not hesitate." Ciel said firmly as he brushed past Sebastian and Chêne. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly. A chill went up his spine when he heard Ciel's cold words. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at his retreating master.
"... So it must be..." Sebastian said, grinning, as he stood and helped Chêne to her feet as well. "The king always uses his pawns to survive. Just like you used me, your knight, and Chêne, your bishop, and the Madam, your queen." Sebastian said, smirking darkly. "No matter how many corpses of his pawns pile up at the foot of his throne... The 'game' is over if the king falls... He must always remain standing." Chêne was suddenly struck with the image of Ciel sitting on a throne, dressed as a king. Beneath his feet were the bodies of all the people they'd ever met.
"I will never stop. Nor will I ever regret moving forward. So..." Ciel said, pausing as he turned to face them again. "... I command you. Do not betray me. Always stay by my side... No matter what!" Ciel said firmly, illuminated by the orange glow of the sunset.
"—Yes... My Lord." Sebastian said, kneeling before Ciel again as he bowed. Chêne sighed. These two were so reckless. There was no way she could leave them alone.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Ciel. I said this before, but... from the day I was born 'til the day I die, I'll always be on 'my side,' but I would never let anything happen to the people who are important to me. So you can count on me to continue to stay beside you and help you however I can as well." Chêne said, smiling wryly at the young earl. She didn't blame Ciel for her getting stabbed. Shielding him had been her own choice, after all. Ciel stared at her for a moment before turning his back on them, and continuing on his way. He didn't let either of them see the troubled expression on his face. Chêne's loyalty towards him, even after what he had ordered Sebastian to do to her, made him feel all the more guilty. Chêne was slightly puzzled by Ciel's silent treatment, but she decided to just let him be for now. He would tell her what was wrong when he was ready.
"Come on, Sebastian! We still have to make dinner." Chêne said, smiling slightly at the demon. After having a good cry, she was finally starting to recover her spunk. Sebastian stood and followed them. Ciel and Chêne didn't see it when the demon smiled softly to himself as he watched them.
'If you so wish... I shall accompany you until the very end.' Sebastian thought as he followed behind them. 'Even if the throne crumbles... and the shining crown rots away. Even if countless bodies pile up... There will Chêne and I remain upon the heap of carcasses... beside the little king who lies silently... Until I hear the final call.'
Author's note:
I looked up chess on Wikipedia since I don't know how to play it, and I wanted to find a good chess piece that could relate to Chêne, like the knight does to Sebastian, and I thought the 'bishop' was kind of perfect for Chêne, since it's roughly equal to the 'knight' in value to the player.
In general bishops are approximately equal in strength to knights, but depending on the game situation either may have a distinct advantage. The bishop has no restrictions in distance for each move, but is limited to diagonal movement. Bishops, like all other pieces except the knight, cannot jump over other pieces. A bishop captures by occupying the square on which an enemy piece sits. Less experienced players tend to underrate the bishop compared to the knight because the knight can reach all squares and is more adept at a technique called 'forking.' More experienced players understand the power of the bishop, but a more sophisticated understanding is required.
Bishops usually gain in relative strength towards the 'endgame' as more pieces are captured and more open lines become available for them to operate. A bishop can easily influence both wings simultaneously, whereas a knight is less capable of doing so. The bishop is capable of 'skewering' or 'pinning' a piece, while the knight can do neither. A bishop can in some situations hinder a knight from moving. However, in certain positions a bishop can by itself lose a move, while a knight can never do so.
I thought this was fitting since Ciel relies on both of them for different things, and while Sebastian is more powerful, and agile than Chêne, she has her own strengths and serves as Ciel's emotional support.
The British chose to call the piece the bishop because the projections at the top resembled a mitre. This groove was interpreted differently in different countries as the game moved to Europe. In France, for example, the groove was taken to be a jester's cap, hence in France the bishop is called "fou" (the fool). Chêne often acts silly in an attempt to get Ciel to crack a smile (or to provide us with some comic relief). In Romania, the bishop is known as "nebun" which refers to a crazy person—kind of like how Chêne throws herself into danger, like a crazy person, for Ciel's sake, and how the others think She's weird because of her habits from the 21st century.
I'm sorry for putting such a long note, but thank you so much for reading! (^_^;)
