Chapter 13: His Daughter, Broken.
A/N: Hey! This will probably be the last update before I leave for the wedding on Thursday. Sorry it will be about a week before the next update, the next chapter is going to be a serious one! Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!
The moonlight was harsh and unforgiving tonight. It highlighted every line etched across Alexander's face, every patch of dry skin, every imperfection and most importantly, the startled look that settled onto his face as she stared at his daughter stood before him. January's face was still dripping blood, tears mixing with the scarlet liquid that tainted her usually innocent look. Her features were hardened, unwavering; a look of utter hatred and fury obstructing her normally pretty face. Fists clenched, she scowled at her father as he began to approach her.
"Stay away from me. I want nothing more to do with you, or my brother." She said lowly, her voice threatening and clear. Alexander no longer felt anger, he mind had flooded with guilt and he was starting to drown in it. Behind him, he heard Sebastian throw Cassius aside and step closer to Ciel who was looking on from the patio doors. Alexander choked out a response, a meek, pathetic response:
"B-but you're my daughter… I-I love you, January." He spoke quietly, almost as if he were ashamed to have even thought of saying the last part. January barked out a laugh, a laugh so cold and so cruel sounding even Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise. Quickly regaining her posture, she wiped the grin from her face and glared at him with a ferocity that Alexander didn't know she even possessed.
"Love me? You've never loved me. I'm a daughter, how could a prestigious and traditional man like you ever love a daughter?" January said, malice laced in every word that she spoke. Alexander felt the tears he had hoped would not appear burn at his eyes, threatening to spill and he tried his hardest to stop them from falling. January fought back tears of her own, desperate to not let her true emotions show in front of her father.
"You...you knew, all along...that Cassius was abusing me…" January started, choking out a sob and lowering her face into her hands. Ciel's mood dropped within seconds of hearing January's confession, and Elizabeth looked on solemnly as she clung to her husband's arm. Alexander was bawling now, guilt making his body ache and his chest tighten. Sebastian felt the anger start to build in his chest, his gaze dropping to the blonde boy who was passed out on the floor beside him.
"He kept doing it as I got older." January said, her voice calm again, "He kept coming into my room and touching me the way a brother should never touch his sister...and then he eventually moved on...and he...defiled me." The tears felt hot against the raw, exposed flesh on January's cheek, and she forced herself not to break down into a sobbing mess. Alexander was on his knees now, shaking his head back and forth, heavy cries escaping his lips.
"January, I am so sorry. My darling girl, how could I let this happen to you?!" He cried out, Ciel stepped forward to place a hand on the sobbing man's shoulder. Alexander shook under the younger man's grip, shame overwhelming him. January looked away from the four people stood before her, unable to bear the judgement that she was sure they held. Elizabeth stepped forward, and Ciel turned to shoot her a questioning glance.
"Ciel, she's my cousin, and my closest friend...I need to help her…" Elizabeth whispered, offering her husband a meek smile. Ciel nodded once, before letting go of her arm and watching carefully as she approached the dark haired girl ahead of them, her eyes now appearing glassy and vacant from all the tears she had shed this evening. Elizabeth took January into a gentle embrace which January did not reject. Alexander finally got to his feet again, his legs shaky and his breaths ragged.
"I j-just needed him… to run the business!" Alexander barked at the two women, a madness about his demeanour, like his sins had finally caught up to him and the devil himself was ripping him apart, "I could have never left the company to you, January! You are but a young lady! How would you have ever managed such a thing?!" January felt a tense and unstoppable feeling of resentment; it pumped through her veins and fuelled her in her anger.
"The company?! This was never about the company, father! Your precious son raped me, over and over again, and beat me down so that I would never speak a word of it!" Her voice was becoming strained, and Elizabeth tried her best to hold the trembling girl close as she became lost in her memories, "And you knew! I remember, the night that you walked in...you didn't even try to stop him… you just left, and pretended you hadn't seen a thing…" Alexander shook his head, as if he were trying to rid himself of his ability to hear anything.
"I'm sorry, January… I beg of you, do not tell your mother...I fear she would have Cassius arrested…" January let out a laugh at her father's selfish words. Elizabeth looked at Alexander with disgust, and Ciel stepped forward to face the older man.
"Your daughter has just confessed the horrendous acts committed by her brother, and you beg her to forget this whole ordeal, to save your son's dignity?" Ciel scowled at the man, annoyance present in his words, "What a disgusting, pathetic man you have shown yourself to be. I will be dissolving our business arrangements immediately." Alexander's eyes widened, panic now beginning to set in.
"B-but, my lord, surely you can forgive m-" Alexander stammered.
"Enough!" Ciel boomed, his voice loud enough to make Alexander cower in fear, "Not only have you embarrassed and scarred your very own daughter, but you have disrespected not only myself but the rest of my household, and my guests! You will be removed from my property, and your daughter will not be returned into your care."
Ciel bent down slightly to lean into Alexander's face, "Sebastian, see to it that this man and his pig of a son are escorted home. I will discard of our written agreements once my son's ball is over. I hope to never see you here again, Huxley." Ciel turned on his heel, striding back into the ballroom full of bewildered guests. Sebastian nodded in understanding as his master passed him. Scarlet turned magenta eyes glowed with a deviousness that January was familiar with.
"Yes, my lord."
Later, January has been taken to the kitchen, where Elizabeth is overseeing the servants as they try to assess the damage done to January's face.
"Oh my, this gash is rather deep, my lady…" Mey-Rin said meekly, her high pitched voice now no more than a murmur. Elizabeth stood behind January, her delicate hands combing gently through January's dark brown locks. January sat in the chair quietly, trying to avoid the clumsy maid's gaze. Her face stung as Mey-Rin dabbed at it uselessly with an alcohol covered cloth, and January cried out when Mey-Rin accidentally pressed a shard of glass deeper into the open wound. Elizabeth jumped at the sudden reaction, rushing around the chair to see what had happened.
"I'm so sorry, my lady! Please forgive me!" Mey-Rin's shrill voice filled the room, and she let out a sob as Elizabeth swatted her hands away to look at the injury. She brushed her thumb over January's other cheek, wiping a stray tear away. January smiled softly at Mey-Rin, and asked her to calm herself.
"I don't know how to fix this, January. I'll go get Sebastian, I'm sure he'll know what to do." Elizabeth spoke softly, and headed out of the kitchen in search of the raven haired butler. Mey-Rin picked up the cloth again, pressing it gently to the cut.
"Oh yes, mister Sebastian will know what to do, yes he will!" The maid said happily, trying to cheer up the melancholy girl sat before her. Mey-Rin chewed at her lip, unsure of how to lighten the mood. Then, she excused herself from January and made her way out into the garden, where she found Finny sitting under the moonlight; humming to himself happily.
"Finny, could you please do me a favour?" She asked quietly, and the blonde boy nodded in response. Mey-Rin leaned into his ear, whispering her request. Finnian grinned, before heading off deeper into the garden as Mey-Rin headed back inside. There, she was met by Sebastian, Elizabeth who were huddles around January. Ciel was stood by the door, glancing at the maid before averting his gaze back to January.
"Ah, yes.." Sebastian muttered a small apology to January, before pulling a shard of glass from the wound in her cheek. A whimper escaped her lips, and he muttered a sweet apology to her again. "There, it's out. I deeply apologise, my lady." Sebastian moved effortlessly across the kitchen, disposing of the glass and grabbing the soaked cloth just like Mey-Rin had.
"Does it still hurt?" Ciel enquired from his spot by the door. January looked at him, and her appearance made him shiver slightly. The combination of red, vacant eyes that were sore from crying and the large wound that had bled down her face and onto her neck, staining her skin made her look like a character from a horror story.
"Yes, it's still sore. The alcohol seems to only make it worse." She muttered quietly, and as Ciel thought of a response, a shrieking could be heard from upstairs. Elizabeth sighed, recognising that cry immediately. She made her way out of the kitchen, offering a simple; "The baby's hungry again. Excuse me." as she closed the door behind her, Ciel in tow. It was just Sebastian, January and Mey-Rin now, and there was an intensity to the air that made it thick and almost suffocating.
"Mey-Rin, please go upstairs and start clearing away the glasses from tonight's ball." Sebastian asked plainly and Mey-Rin nodded in compliance, scurrying away to carry out her maid-ly duties. Sebastian felt comfortable enough now to lean in closer to January's face, and almost immediately she averted her gaze away from him.
"My darling, please look at me." He said quietly, and almost immediately malachite met ruby, and tears were threatening to spill from her eyes once again. Sebastian wiped away on tear that escaped, and cupped her small face in his free hand, "You don't need to feel bad, my love. My master is not angry at you." Sebastian spoke softly, his breath tickling her ear.
"But I am embarrassed, and humiliated, and utterly despondent." January said, her voice shaky and hoarse, "I feel as though the one chance I had to escape my past and escape that disgusting man who calls himself my brother is gone…" Tears fell freely, and Sebastian wondered how she could manage to keep producing so many tears. Sebastian pulled away as Finnian burst through the rear door, a large bouquet of flowers held in his hand.
"My lady, I hope you don't mind, but I have brought you these!" His cheery voice cut through the melancholic atmosphere, and January couldn't help but smile at the young boy's kind offering. Standing up, January approached the gardener. She took the flowers from him, and thanked him gratefully.
"Sebastian, do you know how to fix January's injuries?" Ciel's voice startled January, his return being completely silent. Sebastian turned to him, cloth still in hand.
"I believe some stitches will be needed, my lord." He said flatly, and January approached Ciel slowly.
"My lord, please accept my deepest apologies... " January said meekly, expecting a cold glare from the older, dark haired man. Instead, she was met with a small smile from the man in front of her.
"Please, do not apologise. You are a member of this household now, you work for me, remember?" Ciel said, holding her gaze, "And I will need your help starting tomorrow. I expect to see you ready to work in my office at 10 tomorrow morning. Goodnight, everyone." Ciel said, turning away and heading back upstairs.
Sebastian placed his arm around the small girl once he was sure Finnian had left, and leaned down to whisper into her ear:
"You're safe here, my love. Nothing will hurt you as long as I am here."
