CHAPTER 5 - "A LESSON IN WHO IS MASTER"

The variance of Ciel's violin playing was coarsely, and throughout his time, Sebastian had heard much worse. For his young master, the difficulty of the piece wasn't so much lacking or the boy's experience with the instrument as was my master's focus.

Ciel Phantomhive had not been keeping up on his lessons, he could hear, and having to deal with business and personal matters, and with young Leic, now fallen into the Phantomhive fold, Sebastian could sense some stress in the boy.

But it was time to get back to his master's schooling. The classical arts was essential for someone of his master's standing in society.

Sebastian's head ached with the screeching of the strings of the violin, normally his young master was better than this. It sounded like Ciel's heart wasn't in it.

He put a hand to his temples and closed his eyes, hoping he could salvage some aspect of his master's playing. But he could not find any.

A few theories danced in Sebastian's mind: maybe it was the acoustics in the study where they played that caused the variance of the instrument to play horribly, or maybe the strings weren't tightly bowed, or maybe the piece was too difficult for his master to play, or just maybe his master had something else was on his mind. He wasn't sure, but he could not let the atrocity of playing of this piece in this ghastly manner continue.

"Please stop," Sebastian insisted, sighing. "You must feel the music, you must absorb the notes, you much see the music in your mind. You must not just play the instrument. It is an extension of you. Use it to its fullest and play the notes that dwell within your soul."

Ciel muttered something, lowering the violin. Sebastian didn't quite hear it, but he could sense it wasn't a pleasant sentiment. "I have never played this piece of music before," Ciel said. He gazed at the stand where the music sheets were displayed. "But enough, I have other things to do. We'll continue this another time."

"Your education is important, my lord. Try it again."

"No." Ciel put the instrument down on his desk. "The lesson has ended for the day."

"And a new lesson will begin?" Ciel gave Sebastian a nasty look, as if Sebastian's word hinted on an innuendo. "Is something on wrong, sir? You seem distracted."

Ciel sat down in his chair behind the desk and for a moment appeared to just stare at the closed door of the study as if lost in thought. Sebastian followed his gaze, then looked back. Something was assuredly bothering his master.

Ciel looked down at a series of papers placed out in front of him, business assessments and figures. He didn't utter a word in response to Sebastian's inquiry.

"I see," Sebastian said, silently confirming his master's distractedness. "Shall I leave then?"

Without a further word uttered, Sebastian turned to leave his master to his own thoughts, when Finny, the household gardener burst into the study in a panic. The door flew open with a bang. "Sebastian! Come quick! It's the master - I mean, young Liec. Something's wrong!"

"What is it now?" Ceil demanded. "I thought you took Liec to his room and he was sedated?"

"I did, my lord. It is morning, however. It appears he's awoken from his spell of last night."

They were lead to the guest quarters by Finny, and here they were greeted with a series of crashes against the quarters' door like dishes smashing. The entire household staff, except for Tanaka, was outside waiting in the hall.

"What's all this then?" Ceil demanded.

"It's young Liec," Finny spoke, "he sounds angry."

"Obviously," Ceil said.

"I came to take the plates back that Tanaka brought for breakfast, yes I did," Mey-Rin, the maid said, "and I was told to not to come in, and then the noise started. Oh, I hope young Liec is okay, yes I do."

"I'm sure he's fine," Sebastian concluded, looking briefly at his master, and recalling the events of last night at dinner. They had drugged Leic with a truth serum at last night's dinner in the hopes that Leic would divulge the true nature of his coincidence here. Plans to use torture as a scare tactic to make him talk were also implemented. However Leic fainted before anything could happen or questions could be asked. The servants didn't need to know that.

"We just got those dishes," Bardroy said. "Those are new!"

"Settle down everyone," Sebastian said. "This can all be brought to an end quickly."

Sebastian stepped to the door. He had the key to the lock in his hand. He had locked the door last night after laying Liec on the bed.

For a moment, all was quiet behind the door. Liec has stopped throwing things. Until he knocked, the gentlemanly thing to do. And once again the dishes began to smash against the door with shattering impact. Sebastian smiled to himself. The boy was having a temper tantum. Quite the opposite of his master, who always carried himself with distinction and order.

"Come, come, do be a good boy," Sebastian spoke in his usual calm tone.

"You aren't coming in!" Liec shouted. "How dare you drug me and scare me half to death!"

"He's been saying that ever since this started," Finny explained. "What do you suppose it means?"

Sebastian looked at Ceil momentarily, and Ceil sighed. "Such childishness, explain to him of this inappropriateness, shall you." Ceil said it as if it were an order.

Sebastian gave a nod, and turned back to the door. "Now do be a proper lad and stop breaking things," Sebastian said. "You are a Phantomhive, and thus should act accordingly."

"Cold and sadistic like your master? Like hell! We may share the same face, but I am nothing like him!"

Ciel's face was expressionless when Sebastian looked back at him once again, with a sinister smile. True, despite looking the same, Sebastian found the two of them had different personalities. But if Liec's memory did return, would he be like his master? Probably not, the two had been bred up differently. Environment always constituted a child's personality. Curious, Sebastian wondered where Liec had been all this time and what sort of upbringing he had had, and of equal importance, how he lost his memory of it. Things were interesting, he thought. For a demon of his epoch, this was one mystery he would enjoy solving human-like.

Ceil said, "Do make him stop. That's an order."

Sebastian bowed. "Of course, my lord."

Sebastian took a step back and readied to kick the door down, but then had a different idea. He turned to Finny, remembering his abnormal strength. It was a strength Sebastian still didn't know much about, only that it was unnatural and most likely scientifically doctored. Yet another mystery.

He extended a have towards the door, indicating Finny as well. "If you'd please."

Finny pointed to himself. "Me? You want me to knock down the door?"

"Yes." Sebastian smiled. "You're strong, Finny. For once your strength will be an asset to us."

Finny looked at the others, and they expressed excitement at the task. "Alright," Finny agreed, somewhat reluctantly, knowing the destruction that often followed when he used his abnormal strength. Finny stepped back to the wall for distance. "But I warn you, it might get messy."

"Just be mindful to stop after you break the door down, and don't go through the wall," Sebastian added.

"Yeah Finny, you tell that door whose boss!" Bardroy cheered.

"Knock it down, I know you can," Mey-Rin said excitedly.

"Oh please, just open the damn door," Ceil said impatiently.

Finny appeared to take a moment to mentally prepare himself, then he bolted towards the door, and shouldered it. The door flew off its hinges and soared across the room narrowly missing Leic. Leic had to duck out of the way so to not get hit. On his hands and knees, Leic looked back at where the door was and where Ceil and his devilishly attentive butler were.

A sneer formed on Leic's face and he picked up a plate to throw, getting to his feet.

"Drop it!" Sebastian's voice boomed through the room and it harbored Leic motionless for a moment holding the plate. It was like the devil had just given him an order.

Leic dropped the dish and it shattered on the hard wood floor at his feet.

Sebastian mused, looking around the room. The entire place was in disarray, from the furniture to the bed, to the walls and even the curtains Sebastian shook his head, then signed. "This room will be in need of thorough revision."

As if remembering his previous actions, Leic picked up a piece of the shattered dish. "Y-You stay away from me! Both of you!"

"Calm yourself." Ceil stepped into the room, seeing what Leic clutched in his hand. "You were given instruction to drop that. There's no need for bloodshed." Leic held the dish shard so tight that his hand began to drip blood. "Sebastian, disarm him."

"Yes sir," the butler said.

And as if some unforeseeable force had taken hold of his body, Liec felt a power overwhelm him, and he couldn't move. Sebastian then walked over and removed the dish shard piece without resistance. "Thank you." Throwing it away.

Liec took several steps back, and held his bloody hand. "W-who are you people?"

Ceil stepped up and with a conceited smile and his hands on his hips, said, "We are the Phantomhive's, need I say more. And for all the damage you've caused, you'll fix. And pay off the damages."

Leic's anger was suddenly replaced with fear as he looked upon Ceil and Sebastian collectively. They looked like pair of demons in human form. He downed his eyes to them. "I want to leave, please."

"And go where?" Ceil answered. "But I'm afraid that's not possible at this time."

"Why?"

"Because I say so."

"Come, come. Everything is alright now." Sebastian placed a gentle hand on Liec's shoulder and smiled. Liec looked up at him. "You are our guest. And Phantomhive's have a reputation of treating our guests well, that's if they behave. Right now, it is time for a young boy to clean up his room."

With the other servants, Liec began to clean the room as ordered. But he took a fleeting look back to at Ceil before joining the others in straightening up the room.

Sebastian stood next to Ceil. He let the others do the work. He was a butler, after all. And one hell of one. The others could handle the clean up quite well.

Sebastian saw the hint of crooked smile on his master's face as he watched his twin bath in servitude, and he could feel the conflict between the two. The fire of hatred that continued to burn between these two brothers since their meeting.

Right now Liec appeared more frightened than angry, but Sebastian knew that would eventually change. It was only human nature to oneupmanship one's own brother to prove who was the dominant one.

He could feel the dislike they had for each other.

And it only made Sebastian's appetite for their souls grow.

To be continued…