Sebastian lost his affectionateness once they had arrived back at the manor. Now he was all business again. His first duties, naturally, were to attend to the sick Ciel.
"The doctor recommended a change of air and a change of attitude," Madam Red said, "which means no chasing murderers."
Ciel wanted to protest, but Madam Red gave him a look and he just fell back into bed.
"Where's Grell?" the Madam asked, turning to Sebastian. "Didn't she come back with you?"
"No, he and Will had to discuss some things," Sebastian said, shaking a thermometer. "He stayed behind, but he'll be back." He sighed, dreading the Reaper's return already.
"Your information concerning these murders should help them considerably," Madam Red said meditatively. "I'm sure that Ciel doesn't need to get involved further. Now the Yard can take care of it." Ciel again tried to protest and again she stopped him. "So now you can take him someplace else! Just like the doctor ordered—a change of air and a change of pace will certainly do him worlds of good."
"But, my lady," Sebastian said, "where would we go?"
Then the phone rang and he went to go answer it.
Meanwhile, Eleanora was sitting in her room. Things had turned out surprisingly well. The butler had been a little odd, but he had recovered and—most importantly—he hadn't killed her yet. The young Master was sick, which significantly reduced his bratty orders and generally she was feeling pretty good with life. Her only real issue was what the Undertaker and the man on the phone had said: that it takes six months to plan a wedding.
She picked up the black demon book and thought about asking it. Maybe it wouldn't have the answer. But then again, the introduction said that it did have all the answers, provided that the question somehow related to demons.
She opened it up—the pages were blank, as usual—and whispered, "six months to plan a wedding."
She paused. Maybe it was too broad. She should have been more specific. But how could she have been more specific if she herself didn't know what she was asking?
She turned the page; it had writing on it; the title was The Matri Verum.
The book had mentioned the Matri Verum before; she started to read:
The Matri Verum is a legal and moral contract, replacing and enhancing a traditional unholy wedding. The original Matri Verum was a preemptive strike against the humans who fell in love with their contracted demons. The humans would order their demons to marry them, and the demons would be forced to the ceremony. However, most of the demons would divorce their human spouses in less than a month and quite a lot of them got married and then divorced several times in one year. The sacred act of marriage was at danger of becoming obsolete, and so a new ceremony was created: the Matri Verum.
An unholy can still marry anyone, but now they have the deadline of a year. If they remain married for that year, it is assumed that the married couple is fated to be together and the Matri Verum is then conducted. This isn't a problem for most demons that are forced to marry humans as the marriage is usually terminated in less than a month or so. However, if a demon and a human remain more-or-less blissfully married for a year, then the Matri Verum occurs. Usually this year is shortened to half of one, as it is assumed that a successful Matri Verum can be planned in six months. By the time the Matri Verum has finished being planned, a year has passed and the ceremony can be conducted in peace. Unholies are not considered truly married until the Matri Verum; the longest time a married demon can go without it is five years. The Matri Verum is also considered legal in all the other four worlds.
After the Matri Verum is over with, the rules of unholy marriage fully apply to the couple. Divorce is nearly impossible and the traditions of the unholy are also expected to be continued by the human spouse.
So that was it. The Matri Verum was the "real" unholy wedding. Eleanora put the book aside and tried to think. They hadn't been married for a year yet. Maybe they could put it off. But the maximum amount was five years. Then where would she be? Then she would have no choice but to go through with it.
But there was still hope. The Matri Verum hadn't happened yet. She could still divorce him. Divorce him, and there would be no shame on either side. Sure, she might never get another respectable job ever again, but maybe she could move to Siberia, where no one knew that she had ever been married. She still had options. Divorce wasn't the end of the world.
Feeling much better about things, she rose and went downstairs to confront the butler. Now or never. It was best to get it over with as soon as possible. They had a pleasant run, but it was high time for it to be over with now.
The butler was talking on the phone.
"Yes—Yes—Mm-hm…Yes. Yes, I know. Yes, I'll talk to her about it. Well, it might take her a little time, but I'm sure that she'll come around…eventually. Yes. Yes. Yes, I understand." Sebastian looked up and noticed her; he smiled and made a gesture signaling her to wait. "I have to go; she's just come down. Yes, I'll tell her right now. Goodbye. What?" His smile vanished; his eyes widened. "What? NO, nothing has sprouted! No, I am most certainly not checking!" He gave Eleanora another look. "Listen, I have to go. I'll call you back. Okay? Yes. Yes. Goodbye. Love you." He made two kissing noises into the telephone and hung up, turning back to Eleanora with a smile. "Miss Black. I was just about to call you down, actually. There's a matter of importance that I must speak to you about…"
Eleanora took a deep breath. Now or never.
"Likewise," she said, keeping her voice steady.
Sebastian looked surprised, but his smile returned.
"Really? Splendid! Then shall we sit down and talk about it?"
They sat at the kitchen table on opposite sides; the butler made some tea. For a while they just sat there, staring at each other and their cups before Sebastian cleared his throat.
"So, Miss Black, about that thing you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Y-Yes," she said and cleared her throat as well. "You know, we've been married for quite a while…"
Sebastian's eyes gleamed.
"Yes…"
"And we've had some times together; whether they were good or bad that's not for us to say…"
"Yes…"
"And I've been giving this a lot of thought…"
He licked his lips.
"Yes…?"
"And I think that now's the best time to get a divorce," she finished.
Sebastian was so surprised that his face wasn't even able to react.
"…What?"
"A divorce," she repeated. "Now's the best time to get one."
"A…divorce?"
"Yes."
"What—now? After all we've been through?" His face caught up with his emotions; he looked horrified. "We can't get a divorce now!"
"And why not?"
"Miss Black," he leaned in, "I'm not so sure you know this, but there's a certain ritual that we have to do…"
"The Matri Verum? Yes, I've heard about it. But we haven't been married for a year yet, so there's still time to break it off."
If Sebastian was surprised to learn that she knew about the Matri Verum, he didn't mention it.
"But you don't understand. We can't. Not now."
"And just why not?"
"Because…" Sebastian hesitated before answering, and when he next spoke, his voice was quick and quiet. "Because the date has already been set and the documents have already been prepared and the clergymen have been called."
"WHAT? Since when? How? Why?"
Sebastian shrugged and leaned back, arms outstretched in helplessness.
"I didn't have anything to do with it, but there's nothing that we can do now. The church has been rented; the invitations have been sent out; the menu is being decided even as we speak…"
"But I can't—Hold on. How can we possibly be married in a church? You're a demon, for god's sakes!"
"I'm a Satanist."
"Holy hell cakes, I'm getting married in a Satanic church?"
"It's not as bad as it sounds—"
"Yes, it is just as bad as it damn well sounds; there is no way in hell that I'm getting married to you…"
"Miss Black," Sebastian's eyes flashed dangerously, "I'm sorry, but neither of us have a choice. I've just received the train tickets today; we'll be leaving tomorrow…"
"'Leaving tomorrow?' Just where are you two going?"
Eleanora and Sebastian flinched and looked up. Madam Red was standing in the kitchen, looking at them curiously.
"Where are you going and will it provide a nice change of air and of attitude?"