After the initial banquet, Ciel was surprised to see both Olivia and Aleister still remaining after the festivities had subsided. He had hoped they would've gone off to do whatever betrothals did after the ceremony. It only made sense that Olivia would have something else up her sleeve. Ciel clutched his walking cane as she presented Finny, his own gardener, and simply stated, "I will be keeping Finnigan with me. Aleister's gardens need much work and it would be a shame to just let them die."
"Surely I can merely just purchase a gardener, no need for this one," Aleister commented dryly as his eyes glanced over to Finny, who seemed somewhat self-conscious by Aleister's comment.
"Nonsense," Ciel stated, "I hired Finnigan and he shall remain at the Phantomhive Estate. Besides, why not bring Mei-rin? She was your personal maid after-all."
"But I do not require a maid," Olivia gestured to the many young females cleaning up the mess, "As you can see, Aleister is satisfied with the staff already. However, he lacks a gardener. "
"Finny," Sebastian spoke up, giving a sharp glance to the young man, "What is your opinion? You are bound to Master Ciel, but it seems Lady Druitt has taken interest in your work."
"I will work for Lady Olivia," Finny smiled, only to receive a sharp glare from Aleister, "Lady…Druitt."
"It's settled then," Olivia beamed as she turned to Ciel, "Now then, I am happy that you were able to join my wedding. I shall write to you when I am able to visit."
Ciel felt the firm hands of Sebastian on his shoulders as his butler ushered him out of the ballroom before being headed out of the main entrance. Everything felt so sudden; to lose his gardener, to have Olivia finally out of his hands for a year. It was more than a relief to have Olivia gone, but he felt suspicious as to why she wanted Finny so badly that she would defy her husband's obvious dislike of the idea. Ciel waited until Bard and Mei-rin sat on the driver's seat of the carriage and it was just him and Sebastian inside the carriage.
"You saw through it too," Ciel murmured as his grip tightened around his walking cane.
"Finnigan is a naïve young man, he's barely a few years older than yourself," Sebastian closed the curtains to the carriage doors to add to their privacy, "Surely Olivia would understand that she would put Finny's life and her reputation on the line if-"
"She would," Ciel interrupted, his expression disgusted by the lack of discretion, "Why would she put herself on the line for that sole reason? Why marry Aleister if she was keeping an affair with someone like Finny?"
They sat in silence for a majority of the carriage ride before Sebastian spoke, "Did you forget, young master, what Finnigan is capable of ?"
Ciel held his breath as it occurred to him what Sebastian meant. Finny's inhuman strength was quite valuable under the right circumstances. He was about to stop the carriage to head back to Aleister's manor, but Sebastian prevented Ciel by grasping his wrist, "Think this through, young master. If you try to take your gardener back now, it will only tighten his hold on Olivia. You must think like a young man in love. What would you do if someone tried to snatch you away from someone of your affections?"
For a moment, Ciel forgot the situation as his eye lingered to Sebastian. He could see the distance forming between them since their last conversation that regarded their own relationship. Ciel remained silent for a few more moments before answering, "I would only hold onto that person as if losing them meant losing my own life."
"Very good," Sebastian seemed to grin slightly before adding, "Finnigan is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen, but he knows what is right and wrong. There will come a time he will leave when he realizes he is a mere pawn in Olivia's game."
Ciel watched as Sebastian reached over and caressed his cheek before moving to where he covered Ciel. The feeling of Sebastian's lips on his neck for the first time in over two months made Ciel feel the desire he had hidden for Sebastian. He never such need, such craving for his demon before.
The first room that Finny was sent to sleep in was a rotted dungeon of a room. There were haystacks for bed like an animal would sleep on, and the smell that permeated the room made it seem like there was a toilet somewhere…but couldn't be seen. When Olivia had seen what room Aleister had sent him to, she had sent Finny to a different, more plush room for the gardener. Finny trusted Olivia that this room would be must different and wasn't surprised to see the vast different. This room had a dark wooden floor and a large, white bed that looked like it was suited for a king. There was even a large window for him to look out when he wanted! Finny placed his suitcase on the floor before going to the window.
He felt confident in his choice of staying to work for Olivia and her..husband. Just the thought of Aleister touching Olivia, or even looking at her made Finny rustled with jealousy, but what could he do? Aleister was much older than him and so much wealthier…it was as if everything here was flaunting itself at Finny as if there wasn't he could ever possibly do to be good enough to afford Olivia's lifestyle. His gaze sunk lower at the perfect rose bushes beneath his window; a sight that reminded him on the first night that he gave Olivia a tour of the gardens at the Phantomhive Estate. A small smile lingered on his lips as he recalled the moment he told Olivia his feelings. He may be just a secret lover for now, but he knew, just positively knew, that one day he would make her his wife and make her proud of him!
"Do you like it here?"
Finny turned slightly to see Olivia entering the door way, the only spare key to his room hung around her necklace, "I do, it's very pretty outside."
"I'm glad you like it," Olivia walked over to Finny before taking his hands, "I know today was hard for you, but I promise to get this annulled as soon as possible. It may take a few months, maybe years if that."
"Years..?" just the sound of the word made Finny's eyes widen before expressing the disappointment in his voice.
"I know, I know," Olivia pressed her forehead against Finny's, "We must do what we must do in order to remain together, Finny. But…"
Finny felt a small flicker of hope as he placed his hands on her shoulders, careful to not crush her fragile skeleton, "But what? Is there another way you can be separated from him?"
He understood that getting a divorce or annulment were difficult to obtain, all he wanted was a flicker of hope to remind himself of the pain he was putting himself through now. Feeling her hold onto him was nice and it gave him a sense of peace, but it was still not what he truly wanted. If he could make her his wife, even if it meant losing everything together, he would still die a happy man. Finny saw a small smile form on Olivia's lips as she looked up at him, "I have an idea, but lets not talk about it now. I'm happy that you're still here with me. Why don't I show you how soft the bed is?"
For the last two months, his love for Olivia had grown, but he desired more than the physical implications that their relationship had grown through. Finny resisted, causing Olivia to hesitate before turning to face him, "Finny?"
"I would rather just talk with you instead. Or maybe even just go for a walk with you. Can't we just have a small meal together tonight and just enjoy each other's company? I love you, Olivia, more than just a lover or a mistress. In my head, you're someone I want to spend the rest of my life with; you're my wife already," Finny tried to explain, not wanting to upset Olivia when things were going so well.
Olivia seemed confused by her expression towards him. She stood still as she kept a firm grasp of his hand. Finny feared that maybe he said something out of turn, but felt his heart swell when she neared him with her same smile, "I mean it, Olivia. Your company is all I need to be happy and to feel loved by you."
"Finny," Olivia whispered his name as she embraced him tightly, "You're right, lets just enjoy our time together. Things may get harder later on, but for now we can just enjoy our company."
"Without that letter, we cannot obtain the proper documents to get the last known location of the prince?" Ciel gruffly stated as he paced in his office, "Olivia is probably keeping that letter on her person somewhere…"
"I cannot fully say, young master," Sebastian skimmed over a list he had made of the Prince's last known locations and duration of the stay, "The best clue we have is his trip with his family a year ago, but it was only a few months ago that the Queen issued a state of emergency."
"He's been missing for much longer in that," Ciel grumbled as he slumped back in his armchair, "The Queen is a cunning woman, and she sends me out before she looks to the Scotland Yard. If we're behind, I doubt the Scotland Yard found anything."
"Nothing of importance," Sebastian pulled out another list of the clues found by the Scotland Yard, "They're latest finding has been dated by a few years ago. Hardly anything useful."
"Olivia holds the key to this investigation and yet she's hiding my access to it," Ciel placed his head in his hand, "If she thinks this is her way of pleasing the Queen, then she doesn't realize the reason the Queen calls on me."
Ciel had Sebastian prepare a carriage for them to travel to the heart of London to seek an audience with Queen Victoria herself. The young Duke sat in his carriage as he watched the scenery pass by. He was growing tiresome of having to track down Olivia's hiding spots to find anything useful towards any investigation. Even without her living in his own home, he was finding that Olivia was growing to be even more of a nuisance without her actually being there. Hiding important documents, missing keys to vital rooms, and the fact that she still had his gardener was infuriating Ciel. He had anticipated that Finny would've seen the darkness in Olivia's heart at some point to leave Aleister's manor. Then again, Ciel also expected that Aleister would have Finny killed. That or Olivia would have some type of plan to use Finny and simply kill him afterwards. Ciel's eye hardened at the thought of Olivia manipulating another innocent life for her own gain. If he could, he would save Finny from such a fate.
"Young master," Ciel heard Sebastian call to him.
He poked his head out as he saw people dancing on the streets of London. There were crowds everywhere, dancing, cheering, screaming in joy? What was going on? Ciel left his carriage as he grabbed a boy almost his age, "What is the meaning of acting like animals in the streets?"
"You di'nt know? The Queen 'as 'er son back!" the boy cheered a wide grin before joining the streets, "The Prince 'as returned!"
A flier then was handed to Ciel by Sebastian. The picture made Ciel's stomach sink and his throat began to dry at the image. There, in the article, stood Olivia and Queen Victoria side by side, each having a hand on the young Prince Edward. Ciel couldn't believe he had been beat once again. He crumbled the flier before letting it fall to the ground, stomping to his carriage and slamming the door open to let himself in, then slammed it shut. This was more than just a simple slap in the face that Olivia had given him. These crowds were not only cheering for the return of the missing Prince, but also to the person who so-called 'found' the child by 'searching for the child since his disappearance'. Ciel didn't know what he was more disgusted by: the people ignorantly cheering for a false-person or that that false-person was Olivia.
Once back at the Estate, Ciel was more than irritated as he made his way up the stairs to be greeted by his remaining two servants. They must've heard the news as well since they offered their condolences before Sebastian shooed them off to their chores and followed Ciel to the private library for himself. Ciel paced quickly, angrily before turning to Sebastian, "Who does she think she is?! Taking letters from me!? And then acting as if I'm too incompetent to find the Prince myself?! I could have the Queen find out that Olivia acted out of petty theft!"
"Then why not, young master?" Sebastian asked as he shut the door behind him.
"I have no proof!" Ciel shouted as he hammered his fist on the nearby table, "I have no moves to make when Olivia is making all her moves out in the open for the world to see! Everything I do she either stops or she finishes before me!"
Ciel then growled to himself as he threw off his eye patch. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he turned to Sebastian, "Sebastian, I order you to find out where the Prince had been hiding. Find out if Olivia had anything to do with the kidnapping at all."
Sebastian could feel Ciel's hate beginning to form as the look of complete distaste swarmed in his gaze at the mention of his sister. It was all most satisfying to see Ciel in such a state that it was hard to keep his own hands off of him. The demon bowed before disappearing in the shadows.
The shrill screams echoed in the room, but there was no fear that the screams would be heard. A young woman was bound at the ankles and wrists splayed on a cold, concrete table as tears streamed down her eyes. She was no longer blind-folded, and the horrors that surrounded her had frightened her beyond she had ever imagined a nightmare would look like. As much as she screamed to be saved, why was there no one running to her rescue?
"Shriek, little robin, shriek more…"
A whip cracked over the woman's naked body. It was almost satisfying to watch, but Olivia had grown bored with tonight's entertainment. She sat in a blood covered make-shift thrown as Aleister 'played' with his toy. There had been a moment before her marriage that she had believed Aleister would have her splayed on that concrete slab of a table, but it seemed he received most of his pleasure by having her watch such torturous events on other women. Olivia rested her hand on her palm as she watched him torment the woman vigorously, but she could leave whenever she wanted. The sole reason of her remaining on her throne were the people entering through a secret passage Aleister had made for the other Followers. The new guests seemed awed by her, but for what? She saw no reason for them to have such a obsession towards her.
"Do you enjoy this, Olivia, darling?" Aleister called out to his wife, holding a knife to the woman's naval, "What would you have me do, my love?"
Olivia dully glanced to Aleister, his sanity had snapped already and acted more like her puppet when he was like this. She waved her wrist slightly before turning her attention to the growing number of people entering from the secret passage. The sound of another scream made Olivia sigh, she was growing tired of the horrid sound and was hoping that Aleister had his fun for the night. It took her husband about another thirty minutes before he finished with the female, tossing her body down to the floor before pulling his own clothes back on and shut the secret passage door.
She could hear the astonished whispers among the crowd as she felt their gaze on her. This was the sole reason for her marriage with Aleister; his connection to the group that seemed fascinated with her. It was odd to see such a mass of people all either gathered around her fake throne or close to the walls as if she was a precious article that, if touched, would fade away.
"Look at your Dark Lady!" Aleister announced as he walked up the steps to Olivia's throne, "You all have been waiting, dying to see the woman we have all heard from the prophecy. Now here she sits, in front of our very eyes. The one who will bring down all those who are disgusted, tainted. She will be the one who brings the darkness and the one who will have us rise to the surface to claim the burning world!"
"First," Olivia shifted her legs as she leaned forward, causing Aleister to lean closer to her seat, "I want the throne unclaimed. We shall start there."
"You will be our new Queen!" someone in the crowd clapped, causing a roar of applause.
As the applause rang through the large dungeon, Aleister ran his finger on Olivia's jaw line to get her attention, "My lovely robin, you will be the perfect queen this country needs."
Olivia gazed back to her crowd of Followers, somewhat surprised at how they could misconstrue her words so easily. Then again, these people and Aleister were mere creatures that would be subdued by her own control; a means to an end. However, one face stood out from the crowd; a tall man in a dark suit wearing an ornate masquerade mask. Olivia felt her blood run cold at the sight of the man, what was he there for? The better question to ask herself was who sent him. She stiffened beneath Aleister's touch, who reacted to her resistance by looking in the direction of her attention. Aleister couldn't know that Sebastian was here, Olivia thought to herself. Her hand grasped Aleister's as she stood up, "Surely you don't mean to end the entertainment, my husband. My people need more than just seeing me as their reason for coming into your home."
"Very well, my lovely robin," Aleister mused as he entangled his fingers in Olivia's hair, giving it a slight tug, "I could use you."
Olivia stiffened once again beneath his touch as her sharp gaze went to Aleister. It would be too good of a fantasy for him to abuse someone he idolized, but the pain would be too much for herself. She casually stepped away from him as she gestured to the others, "I don't see that suitable. Allow me to pick out the next one from your flock."
This seemed to satisfy her husband's taste for a moment. Olivia walked down the steps from her throne to a cage full of tied up beauties that worked as Aleister's maids. One caught her attention the most: a dark haired girl with light blue eyes, but she did not cry out in terror or react to the events around her. The girl sat still and solemnly, not squirming to be freed from her chains as she glanced up at Olivia. This girl was bound to her fate given to her, a life Olivia had freed herself from the moment she accepted the contract. However, this girl was not as fortunate. Olivia had the girl stand by pulling on her chains and walking her to the stone slab where she had the girl lack on her back on the table. Olivia caressed the young woman's face as she saw the tears drip out of her eyes as the girl made no sound.
"This one, my husband," Olivia looked to Aleister, "Make this one scream."
All eyes were on Aleister as he began his entertainment for the Followers as Olivia slipped from sight. She meandered her way through the darkness of the shadows before she found the exact person she had been planning on running from. He towered over her like an ominous shadow as Olivia took a step back, "If I had known your arrival…"
"It would have been less of a surprise," Sebastian responded, "It is no secret that you hid the Prince in this exact dungeon. How long did you plan on hiding the Prince before Ciel became involved?"
"That is hardly any of your concern," Olivia whispered sharply, glancing around to make sure they were still unnoticed by the others, "Leave at once."
"You also have treason added to your name," Sebastian warned as his breath felt hot against her ear.
Olivia remained silent as her eyes glowed a dark crimson. She was cornered now that Sebastian had heard what she had planned. However, he did not know all the details. Olivia turned her haunting gaze to Sebastian, "Act if you wish, but you do not know the full extent of my plans."
"Then why not just say them," Sebastian stated, his desire to speak with Olivia growing darker, "You've hardly kept any of your other plans a secr-!"
Olivia had placed her hand on Sebastian's abdomen as her arm radiated a reddish hue. The pain Sebastian felt started unnoticeable until it felt as if he had swallowed thousands of razor blades that were cutting him to shreds. As much as he wanted to fight the pain Olivia was giving to him, he could not move. Olivia then stated low, "You forget so easily what I am. Return to my dear brother's bed and whisper in his little ears of what you heard today. Tell him I also have a gift for him."
She released Sebastian from her touch, watching him clutch the spot before disappearing in the shadows. In the back of her mind, Olivia feared what Ciel would do now that he would know a part of her plan. For the moment he had more capabilities than she could. It wasn't until much later, after the other Followers had left, Olivia stood in her private bedroom before hearing her door slip open. Aleister walked in, cleaned from the blood that had squirted on his other clothes, "What a lovely evening we had, surely there will be more festivities of the sort."
"Possibly, but for now there is business I must attend to," Olivia walked over to her desk, attempting to pull out one of the drawers until she realized it was locked, "This bloody thing... I had kept it unlocked earlier.."
"You work much too hard than I rather have you do," Aleister sighed as he sat on her bed, "You ought to tend to other uses a woman does when she isn't planning a treasonous act."
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Aleister," Olivia warned as she stomped over to him, "Unlock my drawers immediately or so help me-"
"My Dark Lady," he murmured as he stood, caressing her cheek down to her neck, "Being married to you has it's many privileges, yes, but it also keeps me immune to you as well. How can you kill me when all the eyes of the world are settled on us? Killing me, harming me, or anything of the sort will discredit you before it goes to someone else. Trust me, my sweet robin, I have thought this through."
Olivia felt the anger boil within her as she felt his thumb press gently, threateningly, against her throat. This was exactly why she did not want to marry anyone, especially this madman! She seethed as she growled, "You miserable wretch... Do not think I will forget about this when the time comes."
She felt his lips press against her forehead as he whispered, "And I will cherish that very moment. Now forget about your work and join me in bed."
A cold wave passed through her as he spoke his words. To be a woman in these times meant that she would remain silent, obey her orders, and make children with her husband; a woman Olivia did not want to become anymore. She slowly pulled away from Aleister before pointing to the door, "Please make your way out of my room. I think I will take a stroll in the gardens instead tonight."
Aleister's eyes sharpened as he knew the notion she meant. Olivia could see that Aleister was quick to pick up her little affair with their new gardener and blatantly flaunted it in his presence. She watched as Aleister attempted to calm himself before walking to her door, "Dear wife, all good things end tragically. It's such a romantic way of life, is it not?"
"Then we shall see which tragedy benefits the other the most," Olivia added as Aleister walked out of the room.
Ciel turned onto his back before sitting up in his bed as Sebastian remained laying down after another twist of passion. Sweat dripped from Ciel's pores as he caught his breath. Besides feeling close to his butler once again, it was nice to get rid of the tension he had been holding since Olivia's wedding. The young Duke stretched out his arms before glancing out the window at the starless night. The sky was almost pitch black with the new moon, it almost seemed haunting if not for the company he kept. Ciel then turned his attention to Sebastian, who's eyes were glowing in the dark room, "I don't trust what's going on."
"I told you everything that happened there," Sebastian placed his hand on the spot where Olivia had inflicted the pain on him earlier, "There's reason to believe her words, young master."
"I know," Ciel muttered as he pulled his knees to his chest, "I trust she's up to something, but taking the throne for herself? What good would that do? If she were the Antichrist, which I don't believe she is, that's not enough political power to let her have influence over the world."
"Perhaps. But perhaps she's seeking to dethrone the current Queen in order to have someone else replace it," Sebastian commented as he moved closer to Ciel, bringing him down to where he could hold him against his body, "Or perhaps you're over-thinking the whole situation. Maybe Olivia is just using her new found popularity as a way of getting the attention she craves and means no threat to anyone."
Ciel snickered at Sebastian's obvious sarcastic remark. He knew his sister all too well to know that she had something on her mind and she means to get it. However, Ciel wouldn't allow treason to mark his family name. Going straight to the Queen to inform her may be his best defense, but her new friendship with Olivia may deter her from the obvious. Ciel looked at Sebastian through the corner of his eye before grimacing, "Stop looking at me like that."
Sebastian crawled on top of Ciel before whispering, "Then close your eyes, my young master."