It's been a full month since Sebastian initiated the ritual, and your life has settled into a routine. Your body is starting to accept him with ease, the corruption no longer causing you to take ill at random. As such, you've been given leave to wander the manor at leisure, just as you did before Sebastian marked his claim on you. At night, you return to your room, and prepare for Sebastian's nightly visit.

Today is a little different, however; today, you've been asked to run an errand for the household.

Normally Sebastian would be the one who does such things, but the young lord Ciel has insisted that you be the one to fulfil this task. You agreed to it almost instantly, equal parts eager to get out for a while and eager to repay his kindness. After all, he was the one who had truly taken you in. If he desired, he could see you homeless in a heartbeat. You're half surprised that he hasn't kicked you out, given his predilection for irritating Sebastian at every turn. You can't help but wonder if they've made a deal of sorts…

You examine yourself in the mirror. You're wearing a long pink gown, adorned with lace trim around the bodice. It's a rather simple design, yet it radiates elegance. The perfect dress for a young lady. The length of the skirt also hides all the marks on your legs.

Sebastian has been ruthless with you since the incident with Bard. He's taken to forcing himself on you with so much strength that you're too sore to walk properly most days. You've been too afraid to venture into the kitchens, terrified that Sebastian will get even worse. Last night you'd pleaded with him to be gentle, but he wouldn't listen. If anything, your protests made him more vicious. He started digging his claws into your legs, hard enough to break the skin in several places. The pain had made you scream in agony, and that sound had triggered his release. He'd left soon after, not bothering to free you from your restraints or treat your wounds. He'd woken you up this morning by pouring cold water on you, the shock of which made your heart stutter. He'd freed you, and told you to report to the young lord as soon as possible. You'd scolded him for his harshness. He'd slapped you hard across the face before repeating his orders.

You rub your cheek in the mirror. It's still a bit sore, but not as red as it had been. It could pass as a one-cheeked blush, or just a bit too much blush applied to one side. In any case, it doesn't really matter what it looks like. The errand you have to run involves a close contact of the Phantomhive family, so he isn't about to question how you're being treated.

You hear the door open behind you, and know it's Sebastian. Sure enough, you catch his reflection in the mirror, looking sternly at you. He wraps his arms around your sides, hands coming to rest about the pentagram on your stomach. The mark is slowly fading, a sign that his ritual is proceeding as planned. He catches your eye in the mirror.

'Just think, this time next month you'll be all mine. No other man will ever touch you. If they try it, I'll kill them right before your eyes. My beautiful plaything…' one hand moves up your body to grab at a breast, squeezing it roughly. A groan escapes your lips of its own volition, making Sebastian grin menacingly. 'See? Despite all of your protests, you enjoy me being rough with you.

'Now then, I see you're ready to leave for town. I'll have the driver deliver you straight to your destination. You're to go in, retrieve the necessary item from the contact, and return home as quickly as possible. Do not, under any circumstances, stray from this corse of action. If I find out you've been a naughty girl…' one hand lunges at your throat, applying enough pressure to make breathing difficult. 'There will be hell to pay.' He bites your ear for good measure.

He releases your neck, and you have to take a few breaths before you can speak. You address his reflection. 'Why are you being so unkind, master? I've done everything you've asked of me. Sure, I made one mistake, but that was two weeks ago. Please, stop being so hard on me, master.'

Sebastian sighs heavily. 'Ah, such sweet pleading. Alas, you forget that I am a demon. The pleas of lowly mortal women do nothing to soften our actions. I have no intention of stopping my harsh treatment towards you. You'll just have to learn to accept it, the same way you've accepted my essence countless times. Trust me, you'll learn to crave my cruel advances the same way I crave this delicious body of yours. Now, bend over for me, and let me send you off with a reminder to come home.' You obey him without question, hiking up your skirt and leaning over your dressing table.

You feel something cold against your back passage; he's going to use that wooden toy again.

He's been using it a lot recently, delighting in the way your body responds to being penetrated in two places at once. He uses his fingers to open you up, then slides it into you, making sure it's deep enough not to fall out. When he's finished, he steps back, allowing you to stand. It feels uncomfortable to say the least, but you know that keeping it in will please him immensely. You might even earn a reward.

He forces you to turn around and face him, before he looks you up and down like he's examining a piece of art. He clearly likes what he sees, as he starts to smirk. 'Perfect. A true beauty. I take it you know the rules of our game by now?' You're about to nod, but remember how much he hates it when you don't respond verbally.

'I'm to keep the object in me until you take it out. Failure to do so will result in you replacing the item with your… er… manhood, master?' You look at him in confusion. He's never actually been inside of your other hole. Is that still the forfeit?

He looks somewhat pleased with you. 'Those are indeed the rules. However, there are two points there I wish to clarify. The first being that the punishment shall involve me dragging you into the forest over there, stripping you down, having my way with you multiple times, then leaving you there.

'The second is that if you ever use the term 'manhood' again, I shall be forced to use the punishment I just described. It's such a ridiculous term. If you can't bring yourself to say penis, then I shall have to use my 'manhood' to fuck the shyness out of you. Understood?' There's a part of you that really wants him to do just that, but you know it won't be pleasant. Instead, you give him your usual 'yes, master' and proceed to leave the room with him, making your way towards the carriage.

-t/s-

It doesn't take you very long to reach your destination, although it feels like forever thanks to Sebastian's game. Every jolt from the carriage made your concealed toy move inside of you, secretly pleasing you as you make your way to see the informant.

You haven't been told much about the man you're being sent to meet. All you know is that he's an eccentric mortician who is privy to most of the underworld's business. He's been a reliable source of information for years now, willing to trade his knowledge to the Phantomhives for pittance. That's not much of a description, so you don't know what to expect. Your mind has conjured up images of a creepy old man with warts all over his face, willing to trade information for a 'good time'.

Hang on. Is that why you've been sent? Is that why Sebastian wants to play a game today? He's prepared you for this man, stretched you nice and wide so you'll be able to take his load with ease. Surely not. It can't be. Why would he? He's been so possessive of you, it's not like he'd whore you out to a stranger. Then again, he's only been interested in one part of you…

An idea hits you. What if he's only been interested in your vagina because that's the only way he can get his essence into you properly? It would make sense, given the ritual's intended use. Of course, it suddenly makes perfect sense. He isn't possessive of you at all, only your womb. You suspect that if another were to climax inside of your vagina, it would disrupt the ritual. However, if they climaxed elsewhere…

Hang on. Does this mean… you have an out? If you decide that you can't go through with the ritual, that you're sick of being manhandled by a demon, you can escape? Would it work? Could it work? Under any other circumstance, you'd try to find out, but that won't be easy in this situation. Your only options are experimentation and questioning.

If you ask Sebastian, he'd probably tell you the truth, but he wouldn't let you leave your room until you were his, of that you're certain.

If you experiment, Sebastian will kill your lover, and keep you chained to the bed until he's finished with you.

Neither option is any good. Looks like you don't have an out after all.

The carriage comes to a halt with a small screech. You've reached your destination.

Snake, the Phantomhive footman, helps you out of the carriage without a word. You suspect his silence has something to do with his lack of reptilian company, but you're not certain. You thank him regardless, and head towards the shop directly in front of you. A large sign above the door confirms that you're at the correct address. You let yourself in, hoping that he'll be gentle with you.

As you enter the shop, the first thing you see is a dead body, laid out on a table towards the back of the shop. Ah, you've come at a bad time. Is it too late to leave and come back later?

You hear a voice approaching. 'Oh dear, Mrs Winters. Looks like we have a visitor! Your beautification shall have to wait!' A man with flowing grey hair appears in the shop, and hurries over to the body, covering it with a sheet. He turns to face you, a smile playing on his lips.

'Hello, me dear. Come to look at me coffins, have you? Sorry you had to see that. As beautiful as she'll look by the time I'm done with her, it's still not a nice thing for a pretty young lady to see. How about I make you a nice cup of tea? It'll calm your nerves!' You're about to protest, but before you get the chance he disappears, probably heading towards the kitchen.

You take the opportunity to look around his shop. Coffins line the walls of the shop, and there's a large desk at the back. That's pretty much it. It's a very small shop, but you imagine he does fairly well out of it. After all, if he was strapped for cash he wouldn't be giving his information away for next to nothing. Speaking of…

You lean across his desk, pulling your skirt up. If he hasn't figured out who you are yet, this will certainly give the game away. You wonder if he'll get straight to it, or if he'll take his time with you, savouring his payment. You hear him approach.

'It's just brewing, dearie, so why don't we-' he takes in your appearance, clearly slightly taken aback. You decide now is a good time to introduce yourself.

'I am here as a representative of Ciel, Lord of Phantomhive. I have been sent here to retrieve some information. I believe that you were promised payment?' You stick your rear out for good measure, toy poking out slightly.

To your surprise, he bursts out laughing. The laughter totally consumes him, causing him to collapse onto the floor, arms clutching at his sides. You start to blush; have you done something wrong?

He eventually comes to his senses, wiping tears out of his eyes. 'Oh, that was brilliant! I'm going to start requesting you every time! Never have I ever been gifted with such laughter! You can pull your dress down now, unless you'd like me to look at those cuts? They look nasty.' His tone goes from joyous to sombre in seconds. You hastily push your dress now.

'Thank you, sir, but that isn't necessary. I'm perfectly fine. I am a little confused though; what payment were you offered?' You're so confused. You were certain that he was expecting your body as payment. Why wasn't he collecting what he was promised?

He disappears without answering, only to reappear with a tray of tea. He sets it on the desk and proceeds to pour it for you both, handing you a cup without a word. You thank him, and begin to sip your tea.

It's the nicest cup you've ever had.

After a few moments of silence, Undertaker finally answers. 'I gave the young lord Ciel some information regarding you ex-husband a few months ago. When I heard he had taken you in, I wanted to make sure you were okay. The payment I requested was actually a smile from you, but I've always loved a good laugh. Seeing you bent over, offering yourself up like a whore… I don't know why, but I found it funny. I suppose it's the juxtaposition; beautiful young woman and harlot aren't two things that tend to merge together. Anyhow, how are you doing? Are you being treated okay?' Is he being genuine? All he was after was a smile? No way, that's not how men work. At least, not in your experience. You need to know his true intentions.

'Why do you care? I'm nothing to you. Just some silly little tramp who destroyed her marriage by sleeping with another man. My wellbeing is none of your concern.' You put the tea down, and prepare to leave, before realising you don't have what you came for. You turn to face the Undertaker, one hand outstretched. 'I've paid you, so please hand over what I came for so I can head back. I've already stayed far too long.' You're beginning to grow paranoid. Sebastian had specifically instructed that you be in and out as quickly as possible. He won't be pleased if you're delayed.

Undertaker walks around his desk, pulling something out from a concealed draw. It's a file of sorts, presumably what you're after. He puts it in your hands, gently caressing them as he does. The gesture is tender, and it makes you want to cry. He looks at you, and although you can't see his eyes, you know he's wearing a sombre expression.

'I care because I fear you're not being treated right. I can tell that you're in a bad way just by looking at you. You don't have to go into details, but am I right?' You start to cry. You want to throw yourself at this man's feet, and beg him to take you away from Sebastian. Your 'master' isn't the same anymore. Sure, he still pleasures you every night, but there's nothing else there. He's never even kissed you! Not on the mouth at least. Yet here you are, rushing to get back like the obedient little bitch he keeps saying you are. If what the Undertaker says is true, if he does care, could he be the one to help you end Sebastian's games?

No. He won't be the one. He doesn't really care. No one cares. All you can do is return to Sebastian, and hope that your delay hasn't earned you a punishment.

You look at the Undertaker, right where you assume his eyes are. 'No, you're wrong sir. My life is just as it should be.' You give him a smile, but you can tell he knows the truth. He wipes the tears that have collected at the corners of your eyes.

'Okay, I'll let you go. There's one condition however; if your situation changes, and you need to free yourself from him, come to me. I can help you, in more ways than one.' You don't respond to his statement. Instead, you rush to the door, determined to be back home as soon as possible.

As you jump into the carriage, you begin to wonder what he means by 'help you in more ways than one'. All you really need help with is Sebastian's temper and ravenous sexual appetite, and it's not like he can help you there. Unless of course he takes you away from Sebastian…

You need to stop thinking like that. It'll only make your situation worse than it already is. You made the decision to let Sebastian claim you. You can't change your mind just because he's gotten rougher. He's a demon, they're rough by nature! Maybe your body will be able to take his forcefulness better when the ritual is done…

Thinking of the ritual reminds you of something; you clench your backside, relieved to find the toy safely nestled inside of you. At least Sebastian won't be punishing you for that later.

As you approach the manor, your thoughts drift towards the quirky mortician. You wonder what he looks like under all that hair. Is he a handsome man, or covered in warts as you first though? You blush a little; you really shouldn't be thinking about such things. No, what you should be thinking about is how nice he was, and how softly he caressed your hands and wiped your tears…

You fight the urge to hit yourself. You have a crush on him! You have a crush on a man you've known for all of twenty minutes! There's something seriously wrong with you. Perhaps you should ask Sebastian to punish you after all…

Still, as you exit the carriage and walk up the manor, you can't help but wish you'd met that man sooner. If you had, then maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they have.

You give Lord Phantomhive the information you've acquired, before excusing yourself, deciding that you need a nap before Sebastian comes to visit.

You snuggle into your bed, falling asleep quickly. Your dreams are filled with grey hair and laughter.