Elizabeth awoke feeling miserable. It felt as if her eye lids were glued and crusted but she managed to rub them and eventually open them. And once she did, she found it extremely early. The sun still hadn't risen and it was too early for Claude to come and wake her. She was still fatigued from yesterday's happenings, not to mention she had slept most of the day due to her injuries. She thought since she had gotten so much sleep, she wouldn't be so tired now, but she was. And she even looked as bad as she felt.
Elizabeth realized this when she threw the blankets and sheets off herself, struggling because they had wrapped around her in the night. Her body, barely covered by her nightdress, was damp in her perspiration. Her legs and arms were moist with sweat. She must have been dreaming heavily to have this happen. Though she couldn't remember what it was. Rubbing her eyes once more, trying to get used to the darkness, she flung her legs off the bed and lazily got to her aching feet. She approached the bathroom, opened the doors, and strode to the mirror across from the ornate bath. She gazed at herself, the moonlight reflecting off the surface.
Her skin was ghastly pale, the moonlight bouncing off her round cheekbones and her hair, which was nearly flat as cardboard. She needed a bath, but she hadn't the time yesterday. As her skin sunk in to her eye sockets, it was pink and puffy. Her nose was stuffed and she timidly reached over to grab a white hanky and blew into it. It didn't help.
She looked at her wretched self again. Had she driven herself sick? Her loose nightgown had begun to slip down her shoulder, and slowly, a long purple scar was revealed in the pale moonlight. She reached upward, and attentively touched it with the tips of her fingers…and abruptly she remembered her dream.
From the beginning, Elizabeth Midford's life had been in a permanent downfall. She had fallen into a hole and she couldn't claw her way out. For as long as she could remember, she had been in this hole, since before the contract, before her mother's insanity and her father's disappearance. This hole led all the way back to the loss of her only friend, Ciel Phantomhive. Even though she had been little, the loss of someone she cared deeply for did not go away. It some ways, it's worse. She had been utterly heartbroken when she could no longer see him, and she hadn't even known why. She just couldn't. And this is what had made her a very lonely child. A happy child, but nonetheless lonely.
But then, when all had seemed lost, there had appeared a light. This light was white-hot and brilliant and altogether vibrant, resembling so much the soft, celestial brilliance of the moon's light it cast into a dreary night, tinted in royal purple. Such hopes she placed in this light, to save her, to pull her out of this hole and help her to make everyone smile, without hiding behind her own selfless grin. It beckoned her near and drew her close until she approached incautiously, unwarily, but still afraid.
But before she could reach this light, a string, thin and fine as hair but pale as milk, wrapped around her right wrist. She gasped, her breath shaky, as she looked down on her trapped wrist. All she could see was her arm, and then a thin sliver of light wrapped around it. The rest of the world was dark, but she managed to begin clawing at her wrist, trying to get the string to cut slack, but it only seemed to wrap tighter around her delicate arm. She yanked at it, but only made it worse. Elizabeth made a strangled sound as more of these thin lines began to wrap around her, encasing her. First her wrists, then her thighs…her calves, and then her ankles. The threads around her wrist pulled her arms together upon her chest, and more of the strings wrapped around her so her arms would stay there. She struggled against them but they only grew tighter…
And then she was pulled backwards and she was falling for a moment in time before she landed on a material that made her body bounce upward as it hit it. It was soft and luxurious and unlike any bed she had laid on. She opened her eyes and saw that she had landed on a never-ending expanse of web—spider web. Beyond that, there was utter darkness. Like floating in a starless sky.
And she struggled even more. If she was entangled in a web, that could only mean she had become prey, though she wasn't sure how. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her dirty cot. After being wrecked with nightmares, she had finally found herself floating…but this couldn't be a dream. It just couldn't. It felt all too real.
The webs became tighter.
And then she felt the web move, shudder with a sudden weight. Elizabeth searched and she found it. Turning her head, she saw the spider, the creator of the web and the one who had entangled her in it. She could only stare, wide-eyed as its massive body approached.
Four beady black eyes stared into the depths of her own and she cringed, feeling it rummage around in her heart and bring to light the secrets she had vowed never to share. And the feeling stopped suddenly before the creature spoke, the hairy fangs twitching as it did.
"What is your wish?"
Elizabeth shook her head. She couldn't stare at it any longer. She murmured fragilely, "My wish?"
"Yes. Your wish…" It droned.
Elizabeth left the question unanswered. "Are you the fairy the servants speak of?"
The creature was silent a moment. She could hear its teeth click, almost impatiently.
"Yes, though I am no fairy. I am a demon."
Elizabeth choked on her breath. A demon? Why would those idiots have been fooling around with some type of black magic as to summon a demon? Was it possible?
If he was truly a demon, that meant she had God by her side, right? Someone had to. She couldn't untangle herself, and it wasn't as if he threatened to eat her alive. All he had done was ask her one simple question: What is your wish?
She swallowed, and managed to scoff weakly. "Why would I want a demon to grant my wishes?"
The demon chuckled lightly. "I see in your heart, you are desperate for help. For revenge. But there is no one there to save you, poor soul. I am your last chance."
His words rang true, and her head drooped down to her bound chest. She shuddered involuntarily. He knew too much. But she knew there had to be a catch to this predicament. No one simply roamed around granting wishes—even fairies. There was a price, and she knew it.
"Now, what is your wish?"
Elizabeth forced herself to look at the creature. "And what do you get, for granting my wish?"
She could hear it in its voice—it was grinning. "Smart child, you are. As soon as your wish is granted, I am entitled to your mind, body, and soul."
"So, I am given to you?"
The spider hissed excitedly. "That would be terms of the contract."
A contract?
Elizabeth was silent for a long moment. Was it worth it? Maybe. She herself knew that if she didn't escape this place, she would end up dead in a matter of days. She knew this, and yet she was hesitant.
And one word stuck to her mind. Revenge. It hadn't occurred to her until now just how much she craved it. She longed to see their blood drenching the ground beneath her feet, their eyes opened in shock as they lay dying, begging her for mercy, the mercy they never gave her, just a small girl. She was still small. But they didn't care. They had never cared. They never would either.
And some other part of her was appalled these dark thoughts. When had she become such a dark person? Had she always been like this? Did it even matter now?
"Your wish?"
Elizabeth thought for a long time. She couldn't simply put out a wish only to regret it later. She had to be smart. She couldn't be deceived. She had to weigh out her options and make a wish that would benefit her for a very long time. Elizabeth said, "Give me time. I need to decide on my wish."
The demon seemed somewhat pleased, if not impressed. "Summon me again when you have decided your wish."
And then the demon disappeared. And then the web under her went with it. She slowly floated, drifted down and landed on a soft bed of grass. She could still feel where the web strands had entangled her body.
She had escaped the spider's web, but she knew she would be flying right back into it.
Elizabeth shook her head, seeming to come out of her past. She couldn't regret past decisions. She didn't regret them. Not when she was so close to getting her revenge. But with Ciel popping up again, that complicated things. He wanted her dead for a reason she was unsure of. She had supposedly taken his soul. But how could she have done that? Didn't he see the surprise on her face when she realized who he was? She hadn't seen him in years, yet he still accused her!
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck and looking longingly to the bath, but she knew that taking one would require heated water, which only Claude could get. And he, along with everyone else in the mansion, was probably asleep. Her stomach, suddenly, began to roar and rumble, as if a newborn dragon had been born inside her, and she held her stomach as if to contain her hunger. She had only eaten breakfast yesterday, she remembered with a wince.
She took one last look at herself in the mirror, staring at the mark that symbolized her contract with Claude. An inverted pentagram of some sort marked the base of her neck, somewhat resembling a rose. Then, the thorny stem lacing all the war around her neck like a choker. Elizabeth grabbed a simple white choker and covered the mark. Never could she let it be seen.
Elizabeth couldn't wait. She was starving and dirty and she needed Claude.
So, she left the bathroom and then her bedroom. The halls were quiet and eerie, unlike how it was in daylight. A chill in the air caught her by surprise and she shivered in the moonlight that shun through the large windows of the right side of the hall. She felt somewhat comforted in that light before she was forced to leave it as she trotted down the stairs. Through the parlor and through the dining room, she sat on a stool in the kitchen, a place she hadn't been in a long time. She shifted on the uncomfortably hard stool and then rested her head on the kitchen counter. She would just have to wait until Claude or one of the other servants awoke and came down to make breakfast.
After all, she knew not a thing about cooking and she wasn't about to try. Of course, her pride was of too much value to admit that. She could cook if she wanted to. She just didn't want to. At all. Ever.
Her head on the counter, she began to doze but she could never actually sleep. She must've been there for at least thirty minutes before she heard footsteps, and she slowly sat up to greet whoever it was.
Maria opened the door and, expecting to find an empty kitchen, found a figure hunched over the counter. She gasped before letting out a screech that pierced Elizabeth's ears.
"Stop that!" She yelled at her, and Maria's cry of fear slowly let down.
Gasping in gulps of air, her heart pounding, Maria looked at her mistress. She was still in her nightclothes and she carried bags under her puffy red eyes. What was she doing up so early? She was disoriented! That's the only reason a noble would end up in the kitchen.
"Mistress!" Maria cried, running toward Elizabeth's hunched figure. Her facial expression never changed. "Are you sick? Did something happen to you—?"
She was interrupted by a strange cry, a gurgling sound. Maria looked down from where she had unintentionally grabbed Elizabeth's shoulders, and her eyes met the girl's stomach, the source of the unruly sound. Maria gulped, wondering how such a small girl could have made such a loud and disturbing sound.
"I'm...hungry," the girl admitted. "Where's Claude?"
"Why, he already brought your medicine up to your bedroom. He had predicted you wouldn't be feeling well. I'm sure he didn't expect to find you down here—"
The door opened and Claude pushed his way through, outfitted to cook with his apron on and his sleeves rolled to his elbows. Maria sighed dreamily.
"Where have you been?" Elizabeth ground out, irritation clear in her voice. "I've been in here for thirty minutes and you were never here! I've been starving—!"
Claude stared, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of Elizabeth. Then he smiled lightly. "I had expected you to be in your bedroom, my lady. I thought you might want some extra rest after that frightfully eventful day yesterday so I let myself come in later than usual. It seems to me you're still tired."
Elizabeth held her breath. She hated it when he was right.
"Mistress, might I interest you in some medicine? It should help you feel better, and maybe help you sleep—"
"Not until I have food in my belly."
Claude smiled. "Why, yes, of course." After a brief moment, he said, "Would you like me to escort you to the dining room?"
"No. I'm staying right here," she replied stubbornly. But still, it didn't faze her capable butler. She longed to annoy him, to push his buttons, but they were always so hard to find. She wasn't sure why. It was simply a strange urge.
And so, Elizabeth sat there, waiting for her food to be served. Maria helped Claude cook, doing what he informed her to. While Maria was frantic, running from counter to counter in order to get many things done at once, whereas Claude kept in one area, hands moving swiftly yet carefully, characteristically. Fluidly. She found herself enjoying watching. And for some reason, this frightened her a bit. Entertained by housework? It didn't sound right.
Despite her aching body's protests, she rubbed her red, tired eyes and stood. She began to walk out of the kitchen.
"I thought you wanted to stay in here, mistress?"
"Shut up," she muttered, shutting the door behind her.
She sat down at the dining table, trying to keep her head up, but she was slumping down. Even though she had no guests, it was uncivilized to sleep on the dining room table. She finally shook her head and kept her eyes open wide, but this succeeded in nothing but giving her a headache.
Claude opened the doors, holding a silver tray that caught the light from the glowing chandelier, which hadn't been lit when she had first came into the dining room. He announced what se was being served, and revealed the meal—Elizabeth wasn't really listening. She could care less what it was, as long as it was inside of her in the very next second. She quickly began to eat, trying to be as civilized as possible, but quite obviously failing. Claude chuckled at her attempts.
When Elizabeth was done, she quickly stood and Claude, without word, began to escort her back upstairs. As he opened her bedroom door, she muttered, "I can't sleep. I shouldn't even bother."
"Now, now, mistress. Your sleeping schedule is already completely obscured so I believe you should at least try. Besides, you are a bit sick."
"I'm not," she replied as she settled in bed.
"I do not mean to argue, but," Claude approached her and unclothed his hand, the one opposite the contract sign, and put his hand to her forehead, pushing away her golden locks. "You are."
"I need a bath," she complained.
"You can have one on the morrow."
Claude picked up a glass of water that was sitting on her dresser and held out his gloved hand. In it, was her medicine. "Now, eat these capsules and wash it down with this water." She did so as he finished and he took the remaining water from her. Elizabeth began to lie down as he added, "Now, please try to sleep, or your condition will only perceive to get worse."
Elizabeth sighed and buried herself in the blankets. She felt horrible and wanted to sleep, but she needed to know something…something she should have asked from the beginning.
"Claude," she said before he could leave. "How would it be possible for me to steal Ciel's soul?"
"Souls are intricate things in themselves, mistress. Would you still like me to explain?"
She nodded.
"Souls, just like the human body, have an anatomy. A soul is made up of two parts. The body and the heart. There are both natural and unnatural ways to take a soul from a human. There are two natural ways. The first, when a Grim Reaper judges a dying a human, and if their deemed unworthy of life, then they take the soul. Both the heart and the body of the soul are taken. The second is when a demon eats a soul. He eats both heart and body with no problem. We do this with no problem because it is our job. We are born to eat or take souls. It is when humans take souls that it is unnatural. Only the main body of the soul is taken in that way, and humans have many ways of doing that, but since they are not meant to take soul, they only take the body, not the heart. So the heart, quite smaller than the body, carries most memories, but not all."
"So, Ciel's soul was taken by a human?"
"It appears so. He would know if he has sudden collapses and remembers bits of his past. That would be the "body" part of the soul, calling out."
Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. Suddenly collapsing? Why did that sound familiar?
Oh, that's right… When Ciel had come to the manor, she had collapsed in sudden remembrance. Why had she forgotten him in the first place? Could it be that…?
Was the body of her soul not with her?
Claude raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. Didn't you collapse on the night Earl Phantomhive came to visit? Mistress, did you remember anything suddenly?"
Elizabeth glared as she noticed he carried a knowing smirk. "You knew the body of my soul was missing long ago, didn't you?" she accused.
Claude shook his head. "No, not long ago, Mistress. Just shortly after the Lord Earl's visit. I thought it best you figure it out on your own, which I daresay, knew you would."
Elizabeth sighed irritably. "Do you think Ciel an my souls disappearance are related to one another?"
Claude tucked her in tightly. "Yes, I do."
Elizabeth rested her head on the pillow. Claude didn't leave, knowing she had more to inquire.
"Should I explain to Ciel that my soul is also gone?"
Claude shook his head. "Personally, I doubt they would believe you on the spot."
Elizabeth closed her eyes. "We have to do something. Ciel still wants my head on a platter."
"That is for you to decide, Mistress."
Elizabeth chuckled sarcastically, rolling over onto her side and closing her eyes. She could not hear Claude's footsteps as he went to the door and opened it, but before he left, he called to her, "Good night, my lady."
And the room became dark.
In the middle of the day, there was a knock on the door. Maria looked up from her work on cleaning the stairwell, and then stood, brushing off her dress. She quickly got to the door before another housemaid got to it. Claude was probably watching over Elizabeth still, and she was probably the only who looked suitable enough to answer.
She opened the door and peered through, immediately being met with a familiar set of wide, emerald eyes and a smile wide enough to fill the room.
Edward Midford, Knight of the Royal Guard, stepped in, and Maria immediately bowed and greeted him. "Hello, Maria!" He smiled at her dramatically, taking her hand and kissing it.
Maria flushed. She always got nervous around Edward, for he didn't treat her as a servant should.
"Where is my sister? I miss her so much!" Edward whined. Maria knew Elizabeth missed him, too, and never really got to see him except once a month when the queen would allow him to take a break.
Maria frowned at the mention of Elizabeth. He noticed.
"What's the matter?" He approached Maria, a worried gaze in his eyes.
"It's just...the mistress has fallen ill. She should be better soon, though. It's nothing serious."
But Edward, as dramatic as he is, gripped Maria's shoulder, and gazed deeply at her. Her cheeks reddened all over again. "Maria, please, take me to her!"
And so Maria did. They met Claude halfway.
"Good evening, Lord Midford." He bowed dutifully and then stood, meeting Edward's worried gaze.
Edward stepped forward. "Can I see my sister?"
Claude, fully aware he was acting way out of proportion, nodded and led him down the hall to Elizabeth's room. "Please be aware, sir, she is sleeping." And then he opened the door for him, and as he strode through, followed him in.
Edward saw his sister buried underneath her large covers, her lips parted open slightly and her eyelashes angelically grazing her high-perched cheekbones. He sighed, and approached her bed, beginning to take off his shoes. Once they were off, he climbed into her bed and grazed her cheek with his finger.
Claude, a bit unsettled, informed him, "Sir Midford, if you continue to get so close, you may catch it—"
"I don't mind getting a bit sick. I'd rather be in bed then leading that bunch of soldiers. A bit too shifty, if you ask me." He continued to smile at his sister, sleeping soundly.
Claude managed to smile. "Then I shall leave you to your bonding…"
But as he proceeded to leave, Edward suddenly gasp. "Lizzy! You're awake!"
Claude turned back and walked for the bed, where he saw her rub her eyes, squinting into the room. Her eyes focused on her elder brother, she gasped, leaping upward.
"Edward! What are you—?"
Her brother dragged her downward and hugged her with all his might. "Lizzy!" he sobbed hysterically. "I thought you were gooooooone!"
Elizabeth pushed at him. "I'm just sick, is all—"
"But, Lizzy—"
"Edward, get off." When he finally released her, she sat down on her legs and asked, "Why were you in my bed?"
"I let myself in. Just like old times, eh?"
Elizabeth cringed.
"Lizzy! You're dressed so indecently!" Edward suddenly gasped, throwing a blanket over her face.
Elizabeth growled and threw it off. "Excuse me, if I'd known I'd be having guests as I slept, I would have dressed all fancy for the occasion!"
Edward faked a hurt look. "I didn't know I was such a bother!"
Elizabeth scoffed, "You're more than that."
"Liiiizzy..." Edward pouted, tears welling.
Elizabeth smiled, "You're my brother."
Edward smiled, "For a moment I bought you'd become an adult on me. Don't scare me like that!"
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Claude had approached, smiling lightly, "Did the medicine help, Milady?"
"Yes, yes it did, Claude."
"Oh, yes, I forgot to ask. How is that new butler of yours doing?" Edward said, glancing toward Claude. His eyebrow twitched.
"Edward, he's not new. I've had him for two years now."
"Oh, really? He looks different every time I see him!" he laughed.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but before she could reply, Claude intruded carefully, "Mistress, I do believe it is time for your bath."
"Oh, please," she agreed, beginning to crawl off the bed, but Edward grabbed her gently, pulling her back.
"Edward, release me!" she cried as he hugged his sister for dear life.
"No! Please let me read you a bedtime story, like old times?" He pressed his cheek to hers, beginning to whimper like a pup. She groaned.
"No, Edward, I am perfectly capable of reading by myself. Besides, we both haven't had dinner yet."
"Later tonight, then? Before you go to bed?" he begged miserably. Edward was always desperate to spend time as things used to be. He needed to stop clinging to the past, as he always did. Whereas, Elizabeth was always looking to escape the past.
"Why are you in such a rush, Edward?"
Edward winced, then met her gaze, looking guilty. "I can only stay for the rest of the evening. I do have some very important duties to maintain back at the castle."
Elizabeth immediately washed away her hurt look. He brother carried a big job on his shoulders, and she thought she had accepted that a long time again. "Fine."
And then she went into the bathroom, shutting the doors behind her until she heard her brother leave. Then she opened them to peak outside as she heard the doors open again.
Claude sped in, two pails of warm water in his arms, with Maria coming behind him with another pail. They strode into the bathroom and poured it into the tub.
Now she could have a while to relax and get over the last symptoms of her self-inflicted illness. And hopefully give her brother time to calm down. Elizabeth constantly had to remind herself that this wasn't the only side of her brother. The other part of him, the part that led soldiers into battle, or held his chin, and sword, high in the face of an enemy, was noble and brave-the face of a prince.
"Lizzy, you're so lucky to have a Knight for a brother," Ciel gushed, grinning ear to ear as he handed her a piece of candy.
Elizabeth gazed at the label, knowing just by the color of the wrapping that it was her favorite flavor. It was the chocolate with that sweet, burnt orange colored filling that oozed from the shell as she nibbled on it.
She squirmed in the crawl space of Ciel's closet, muzzling closer to her friend.
"He isn't a Knight yet," Lizzy muttered, beginning to unwrap it as Ciel began munching on his.
"But he will be," he replied admiringly. "Daddy said that I'm going to protect the queen when I grow up."
The little girl was filled with envy. "I want to protect the queen, too, Ciel!"
"Okay, okay, you can protect the queen too."
Elizabeth suddenly gasped, reaching out to grip Ciel's small arm. Ciel's face immediately changed. "What is it?"
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"I think it's a monster!" Elizabeth said in a whispery voice.
Ciel immediately began to tear up. "Lizzy," he pouted, sniffling.
"I'll protect you, Ciel!" Elizabeth wrapped her little arms around him, and Ciel hugged her back, whimpering.
And suddenly, the closet doors burst open and a massive figure, shrouded in shadow, lurched forward, roaring monstrously. Ciel and Lizzy screamed high-pitched wails as the shadowy figure came into the light.
A woman with bright red hair and matching red clothing burst in and immediately noticed the candy smeared faces.
"Why, what little pigs I've found!" Auntie Red gently picked them up as their screams lowered into high pitched giggles. "Time to hide the candy again..."
Ciel Phantomhive sipped at his Earl Grey tea, the pungent taste washing over his dehydrated tongue. Steam rolled off the surface and bathed his nose in warmth before he set his cup down on his desk and prepared to finish the abundant piles of paperwork strewn across his desk.
The papers were about as dull as they were everyday. Smaller companies asking for loans or letters from the men who ran and operated his factories. They were informing Ciel of how well the company was doing, except that they were beginning to struggle with demand. They needed newer machinery to keep up with the children of the world.
Ciel sighed and reached for his tea. He knew he had the money to do so, but the question was if he should. He couldn't ship in new machinery that wasn't needed, or if demand was simply going to drop again.
But Ciel found his mind wandering. About her. The girl whom he once loved as a brother would to his sister. She wouldn't abandon his thoughts and he couldn't concentrate while she was on his mind.
Elizabeth had gotten a lot better with her sword. And she only proceeds to get better. After all, her family was born to be the guard dog of the queen. Eliminating threats from surrounding countries was the guard dog's duty, whereas, the Phantomhives' held the position of watchdog. The watchdog eliminated all threats from within England, the underground. That is the dirty burden the watchdog carried.
Ciel's stomach began to ache, and he rung for Sebastian. In no more than three minutes, he arrived, smiling lightly as he approached Ciel's desk.
"Did you need something, Young Master?"
"I'm hungry," Ciel declared sternly. "Bring me something sweet."
Sebastian sighed, resisting the urge to run his gloved fingers through his hair. "I'm afraid I cannot, Young Master, you'll leave food on your plate."
Ciel began to sift through the paperwork, absentmindedly replying, "Just bring me a scone or something."
The butler sighed again. "Young Master."
Ciel looked up at him, his eyes pointed, then groaned irritably. "How long until dinner?"
Sebastian grinned, knowing he had won. "No more than an hour, My Lord."
"Fine. I'll wait."
"Is there anything else you desire, Young Master?"
Ciel met Sebastian's gaze. "Yes," he replied airily. "You could help me figure something out."
"And what might that be?"
Ciel's eyes sharpened. "The night when we went to visit Mistress Midford."
"What of it?"
"It appears, Elizabeth has been having the same lapses I have, with my memory."
Sebastian grinned. "Yes, I believe I noticed that, also. What do you think this means, My Lord?"
"I don't know what to make of it. It makes no sense. All of the signs pointed to her. But it appears she had forgotten me due to her soul being contorted-ripped apart from her."
"Perhaps she is simply as good at playing games as you are, My Lord," Sebastian reasoned. Then his expression became dark as he turned his gaze back to his master. "Perhaps she is just as smart as her mother was."
Ciel's gaze darkened in return. "Don't talk about it." He began to fiddle with the ring on his finger-it helped him think. "I don't think she knows what is going on behind the scenes. Typical guard dog," he chuckled. "Perhaps we were wrong in directly confronting her. She wouldn't have had to have gotten involved in this."
"But it seems she is already involved. Part of her soul is gone."
"That's not our problem." Ciel took a sip of his tea.
"It could be the same person who took yours. Your souls are very similar in purities. It seems as if someone is..."
"Collecting them?"
"Precisely."
Ciel sighed. "Should we go see her again?"
Sebastian felt his straight face crumble. His master must have been very desperate at this point to ask advice from a lowly butler. Ciel's pride simply wouldn't allow it...until now. After all, it was his soul they were speaking of. Of course it would mean a lot to him. Not to mention, if the body of his soul was gone for too long, separated from the heart, it would soon cease to exist.
And Sebastian couldn't very well let that happen, now could he?
So he simply smiled at his master in reply.
Ciel rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Go make me dinner, Sebastian."
"Yes...My Lord."
"Mistress, your bath is ready."
Elizabeth looked from Claude to the bath, which was filled with soapy, bubbly water. Claude approached her and began to unbutton her nightdress, holding it together so it didn't fall away and reveal her scars. Her butler turned away then, taking off his white linen gloves and beginning to roll up his sleeves. As he was turned away, Elizabeth let the clothing fall and she stepped in.
Claude began to pull the soaps from the cabinet as Elizabeth settled under the bubbles and into the water. She began to feel better immediately as she sunk low into the mass warmth, engulfing her. Claude approached the bath, soaps in hand, and placed them on the ground beside the tub. He scooped up some water in a pail and gently poured it over her head to dampen her flat, blonde hair.
"Edward might be a problem," Elizabeth stated bluntly.
"And why is that, Mistress?"
Elizabeth blew on an unusually large pile of soapy bubbles. "I don't want him him to know of Ciel's reappearance. And Ciel may very well attack again when he gets the chance. I don't want my brother to get mixed in this, let alone die at Ciel's hand...or Sebastian's."
"You needn't worry, Mistress. Sir Edward leaves tonight, doesn't he?"
"Yes, I believe so. But I can't help but worry."
Sometimes it was hard to believe that a sweet girl like this would give everything to a demon. But she had, and Claude sometimes took for her for granted. A rare soul specimen such as this is not easy to obtain.
Claude began to lather soap into her hair. "It can't be helped, My Lady. He is one of your only family members left."
"Mhmm," she agreed absentmindedly. Claude washed out her hair and began to wash her back. He looked over her flesh and found the place where the large bruise had formed. It was nearly gone.
"The bruise has completely healed, Mistress. Those Indian herbal treatments worked nicely, yes?"
"Mmhm," she agreed. Her butler continued to wash her. A comfortable silence reigned for a long time.
"Do you think she's insane, Claude?" Elizabeth whispered suddenly.
Claude froze. Her knew she was referring to her mother, but he hadn't really given any thought as to why. Why, humans don't need a reason to be mad.
"No. I do not think she is suffering from insanity."
Elizabeth sighed in relief.
"Some demons would say many souls are residing in her body. In fact, thats how many religions would refer to a human with many personalities..."
Elizabeth, startled, jerked her head towards him, her eyes pools of disbelief. Before now, she would have shaken off such an absurd thought, but now she thought it quite possible.
She leaned forward, her body rising slightly.
Claude changed his gaze, knowing she didn't like being stared at. A bit too much of her chest had been revealed to his eyes.
"Then wouldn't demons seek her out? It's a bunch of souls bottled into one body..."
"When a body takes on more than one soul, the original soul becomes contaminated. Uneatable. None of the other souls can be devoured with that one soul, her soul, defiling her." Disgust filled his voice, and Elizabeth turned to look at him. He took his gaze from his skin to return her look.
They stared at each other a long moment, before Claude closed his eyes and smiled. "Am I rubbing too hard, Mistress?"
Elizabeth kept her gaze on his face a moment, before returning her gaze to the dirtied water. "You're fine," she mumbled.
"Imagine Edward knowing I didn't have a housemaid to do this," Elizabeth said with dry humor.
"Well, Mistress, you could always have Maria wash you."
Elizabeth frowned, looking into the water, "I cannot trust anyone to do this for me. Not even my family, because they have betrayed me also."
She added a moment later, her voice grieving, "The only one I can trust is you, Claude," she whispered, then brought her hand to her neck, "because of this." She traced the contract with her fingers. "This is nothing more than a covenant of trust that lasts only until my trust runs out...When my wish is granted."
Claude smiled. She always had a regal way of putting things and it seemed to make things a lot easier for her. Maybe easy enough to where she won't struggle when the time comes.
"What a regal way of putting it, My Lady," Claude said as he gestured for her to stand. He turned as she did, and then grabbed a towel and turned, eyes closed, as he held it out for her. He opened his eyes again as he sensed she had wrapped it around her.
"But it is true," she put in quickly. "The world is always simply your perception of it. If you see it as a dark, ugly, godforsaken place then that is what it shall be. If you see it as a bright, beautiful place of serenity and glee than that is what it has become."
Claude, as he pulled a simple white and brown dress over her head, found his curiosity picking at him. "Might I ask you a question, Mistress?"
"Hmm?" Elizabeth straightened her dress and he began to softly brush out her hair, now soft from the soap.
"What is your perception of it, then?"
Elizabeth turned to him as he brushed out her bangs, grinning lightly. "Why would you want to know that?"
Claude gave her a disappointed look, which she paid no mind to. Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I have no interest in human affairs. In fact, that is what keeps me entertained here."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I honestly don't know what to think of this place anymore. Just asking it myself confuses me, because I've seen many beautiful and wonderful things about this world, but I have also had the chance to see the ugly and unforgettable."
Dinner was quite large, and she enjoyed it a lot more than she let on. Edward made hearty conversation at the table, asking many, many questions and telling many "hard-to-keep-up-with" stories. They all flowed into one another and she suggested he just write a series of books instead of tell each one to her.
After dinner, she changed and slipped into bed. Edward, still in his clothes, lay beside her, on top of the blankets and read her poems from Edgar Allan Poe's collection, trying to scare her, but failing. After a few stories, he had to leave, and it was extremely late.
Elizabeth, Claude, and Maria followed him to the door where it rained heavily outside. He popped open a parasol and hugged his sister, reached out to shake Claude's hand (which he replied to be bowing) and then taking Maria's hand in his own and kissing it. She blushed furiously.
And then he stepped into the carriage and left, the horses and the carriage slowly disappearing in the mist.
Elizabeth walked away from the front doors and into the parlor, where she settled on soft velvet couch and began to read the tales of Edgar Allan Poe-the book Edward had been reading to her. Claude had followed her in and spoke drearily.
"Mistress, it is time for you to retire to your bed."
"But I'm not tired."
"We must work on getting back your sleeping schedule."
And just as Elizabeth shut the book, there was a loud bang, and her ears followed the sound to the front door. A fist rapping at the door.
She jumped upward. Maybe something happened to Edward's carriage? Had he trudged through the rain to get back here?
And Elizabeth was the first to get to the door, Claude behind her. She opened the door-
And on the ground, she saw the figure of a young boy, laying there on the porch, sodding wet and nearly bare. His body was cut and bruised, like he had obtained numerous beatings over time. And he wore a thin piece of cloth-a pair of shorts, she realized. Dirt masked his face and shrouded his light-blonde hair.
And blood quickly pooled around his small body.
This took forever to finish! It's about 27 pages so I hope this keeps you guys occupied for now. I honestly couldn't wait so I kept writing until it finally came up to Alois showing up! I was so excited to have him, and I've never anticipated a character so much.
Claude: I smile too much in this. -.-
Well, yeah it's because you actually enjoy Elizabeth!
Alois: OMFG I'M FINALLY HERE. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!
Yes, so I hope that you guys enjoy this one. It was basically just a filler until that very last part. And one of my reader's suggested that I put Prince Soma and Agni in here. And I absolutely love them with all my heart so please give me ideas on how to incorporate them in here!
