Raychaell: Hello there, my dears! Mama Raych is back with more Casshern soup! *holds out soup with delicious smell and drinks a spoonful* Mmm… Love the taste!
Claudia: *yells* YOU MADE CASSHERN INTO SOUP!
Raychaell: Just joking! This is just black chicken soup! Casshern is asleep in your room.
Claudia: I hate you! *leaves*
William: Let me guess, you played another prank on Lady Claudia.
Raychaell: Yup! And that's the way uh ha uh ha I like it! Original right?
Rouge: *flatly* You copied that phrase from Night At The Museum 2. Nothing original about that.
Raychaell: *blush* SHUDDUP! Anyway, back to the story! We'll be continuing William's flashback. Read and review!
Response to reviews:
Daniella: I'll be getting to that part soon. Hopefully I would be able to introduce it in this chapter, but if not next chapter.
Mizuki ShiBara: What can I say? Other than what I've already said to you in my PM to your reply, nothing except, I love you for reviewing!
Finally, to all my darling reviewers, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was beginning to think nobody loved me… T^T
William: *shakes head * Sigh… Raych doesn't own Black Butler except her crazy mind and us.
Raychaell: WHO ARE YOU CALLING CRAZY?
Flashback – italics
The soldier gazed uncertainly up at the hotel before him. It was a huge building, and beautiful too, not fit for someone of his lowly status.
"Don't worry, Dia and I are rich enough to afford this, especially since Her Majesty herself financed our trip here. So just come in and stop staying out in the snow." He turned to see Lord Carlisle, twin brother to Lady Darius herself. He shared his sister's beauty and many traits. Even now, his way of talking and his stance was the same as hers, making him wonder where the girl was. She had left him earlier after passing him to Jade so that she could care for him, only saying.
"I'll see you later since I have some business to take care of for the time being, so let Jade and my twin brother take care of you, all right?" With that, she had left, leaving him to have a startling meeting with the young Lord who had accepted him without a second word.
The soldier stepped into the hotel uncertainly, blinking rapidly in surprise at the bright lights and colors that decorated the hall. His feet sank into the thickly carpeted hall and he took in with surprise the busy scene in front of him. People in uniforms went around him, busy with their duties. Some were dressed in normal attire like him, chatting merrily as they indulged in their meals and conversation. Then a hand tugged on his elbow, making him look down in surprise. "You're finally here! Come on, we better get you cleaned up before we have our meals." Lady Darius said those amethyst eyes gazing into his icy blue ones merrily.
He nodded dumbly in reply, allowing her to lead him towards the closest lift. Once they entered, she pressed a button simply labeled '12' and then they were rising towards the top of the building. It finally stopped when a calm female voice informed that they had reached the twelfth floor. The lift door opened to reveal a magnificent room, more beautiful than the lobby itself. It was decorated in shades of creamy white, with an occasional dab of red here and there. A great window on the other side of the room had its curtains drawn to reveal falling snow outside. He no longer felt cold in this room. Instead, there was a fire blazing merrily in the fireplace, making him feel warm in his winter outfit.
"Lady Darius, you're back! And who's this?" A merry voice questioned, snapping him out of his reverie and awe. He looked at the voice, only to see a pale man dressed in a fashionable suit, his black hair carefully styled to look like it was wind swept. Dark brown eyes observed them eagerly even as his gloved hands came together with a muffled clapping sound.
While the soldier tried to shrink back at the sight of the unfamiliar man, Lady Darius merely seemed amused. "Hey there, Wesley. This gentleman here is soon to be my new Thorn, so I'm going to need you to give him a makeover befitting his status as my manservant." She said in explanation, gesturing towards the soldier who now stared wide eyed at her in terror at being separated from his savior.
"It's all right, Mr. ... What is your name? I can't keep addressing without a name, since it makes me feel like I'm being rude," she asked in curiosity. The soldier hesitated briefly before carefully speaking in a raspy tone.
"I… have no name, my Lady," he said softly, eyes downcast. "I've forgotten what my name is." Then he felt his chin being lifted, his eyes meeting Lady Darius'.
"No matter. Shall I give you a new one then or would you like to name yourself?" She questioned. The soldier thought about it. He had no idea what to name himself, and he could probably end up making Lady Darius upset if the name he chose was offending to her. So that meant…
"I have no idea what to name myself, Lady Darius, so could you give me a name?" He mumbled, blushing slightly. Lady Darius did not seem to mind. Instead, she responded with a name.
"How would you like the name, William? It means protector, (A/N: I swear I had no idea that the name William meant that. It was just a name I picked up from the manga Crimson Shell, whose characters, by the way, I based both Claudia and William on. Slight differences being eye color and maybe attitudes.) and since one of your duties as my Thorn is to protect me, it would suit you perfectly." She questioned with a smile.
William contemplated his new name while Lady Darius and Wesley awaited his decision patiently. It sounded nice, and it had a certain ring to it that made him realize that if he accepted it, he would be free from his past. His decision made, William looked into Lady Darius' eyes, and spoke shyly. "Lady Darius, I accept the name. Thank you so much."
Lady Darius smiled brightly at this, before speaking again. "Well, William. As you may have heard, Wesley here is going to give you a makeover. After all, we can't have my manservant looking underdressed, can we? Now, just follow him into the room, and I'll wait for you outside, all right?" She questioned. William nodded and allowed the man named Wesley to lead him into the room Wesley had appeared from before. He was dragged in, and once again, William was struck by the magnificence of the room. Shoved along one side of the room was a table laden with several brushes and combs. On it were three mirrors, the one in the middle biggest while those on either side of it were half its size. In front of the table was a swivel chair, which William was instructed to sit in.
William complied, feeling awkward as Wesley fussed over his appearance, mumbling to himself something or the other. Just as William felt ready to demand an explanation, Wesley spoke, "All right, Mr. William, I'm going to need you to strip so that I can see what else I need to change." William silently panicked. He had no idea whether he could trust this man even if Wesley was an acquaintance of Lady Darius. But thinking about Lady Darius did help I soothing his nerves, especially since she was just outside the door, awaiting him patiently.
With a sigh, William nodded and stripped, shivering slightly in the cold. Wesley, upon seeing him shiver, switched off the air conditioner and observing his bruised and cut body. There were also burns on some areas; burns that, despite his genetic makeup, refused to heal fully. Wesley seemed to come to a decision then. "William, there's an adjoining shower in this room. Feel free to use it. I'll bring in your clothes later so leave the door unlocked." Wesley said in a brusque manner. "While you shower, I'll talk to Lady Darius."
William nodded again in compliance before limping towards the shower indicated. It was stark white, with gold highlights. A mirror stretched along one a wall, the marble counter surprisingly uncluttered. A glass basin rested on the counter, with a silver tap above. Opposite the mirror was a large bathtub, it's ceramic surface polished to perfection. On the other side of the room, a simple shower could be seen as well, with anti slip mats placed beside it and the bathtub.
William contemplated for a while before stepping into the shower, turning on the hot water and letting it splash him, warming him and washing all the grime and blood away. He adjusted the hot water, cooling it until it no longer scalded him. He stood with his face upturned to the showerhead, letting the warmth relax his tense body until he felt better and more relaxed. When he stepped out of the shower at last with a towel to wipe the moisture off his body, the first thing he noticed was the neat pile of clothing stacked upon the counter.
In his curiosity, he stepped over to it, and shook out the clothing to reveal a white collared shirt, new underwear, and a dark blue, almost black suit. A pair of black dress shoes was provided as well, with a long red neck ribbon to go with the suit. He put all these on, and gazed at his appearance in the mirror. He saw a clean-shaven, mostly bald man, with calm eyes and a well-dressed appearance to match. He blinked, and the image in the mirror was suddenly him. His eyesight however, seemed too good, for he could see faint scratches on the mirror, and when he turned his far sighted eyes upon other things, details came to him in painful crystal clear clarity. He sighed ruefully. It seemed he had to ask Lady Darius for something to limit his far sight.
Then there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a voice. "William, Lady Darius is waiting for you. Do hurry a little, would you?" Wesley asked. William hurriedly dried himself off at this before stepping out of the bathroom. Wesley awaited him outside, wearing his usual bright smile. Wesley beamed at the sight of the well-dressed William, fussing all over the already uncomfortable William, tugging at a sleeve or the collar, before stepping back in satisfaction. William heaved a sigh of relief, thinking his ordeal was over, but Wesley wasn't finished.
"Wait here," Wesley ordered, and ran back to the makeup table, rummaging through the mess before surfacing with a long blonde wig. He handed the wig over to William, who put it on with a cautious manner. Wesley stepped back again to observe his handiwork, only to frown at William, who had by now resigned himself into becoming the older man's guinea pig. Then Wesley's eyes brightened with a realization, dashing back to the makeup table to grab a red hair ribbon that had been dangling on the left mirror. The hair ribbon was used to tie William's hair back, and at last Wesley seemed satisfied at his handiwork.
"Are we done?" William asked wearily. Wesley nodded and led him out of the room, opening the door to reveal Lady Darius and her twin chatting with a stranger. Jade was not with them. The stranger was wearing a white coat, which reminded William of the scientists back at the prison. The only difference between the man and the scientists was that the man had grey hair and merry brown eyes, which seemed to notice everything.
"Lady Darius, allow me to introduce my latest handiwork, William the Thorn, manservant to Lady Claudia Darius!" Wesley announced brightly. William blushed as the trio turned their gazes on him, observing his appearance.
"Well well? What do you think?" Wesley demanded, searching their faces for an answer. Lady Darius was the first to answer, a smile growing on her face.
"Wesley, you have once again reminded me why I pay you so much for your services. William is a masterpiece! He truly fits the image of my manservant/butler!" She enthused. William blushed at the comment, ducking his head in embarrassment while the others heaped similar praises upon him. Wesley's grin grew even larger at the praises and bowed in his pleasure.
"Thank you so much for your praises, my friends! If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave." Wesley said, bowing to the rest before he retreated to his own room.
William looked uncertainly at Lady Darius. He had no idea what to do, and awaited her decision silently. Lady Darius seemed to understand, for she beckoned him forward even as she nodded for the doctor to stand up. The doctor and William obeyed, and moved till they were on either side of Lady Darius. "William, I want you to meet Dr Ragland. He'll be treating you for any injuries you have, and also check you over at the same time. Dr Ragland, if you would go to this room please. William, I need you to follow the doctor. " Lady Darius said kindly, directing her words towards both men.
William wearily followed the doctor, following him into the room indicated. He was beginning to feel very hungry, and he wanted so badly to ask Lady Darius when he could have his meal. As if reading his mind, Lady Darius spoke again, her words clearly directed to William, "I know that you're hungry, William, so Dr Ragland will make things quick for you, all right?" There was a note of concern in her voice, which William realized was for him. Lady Darius is worried for me, he realized.
With that realization, William paused from his position inside the room, and gave her a dutiful reply, "I'll be fine, my Lady, so do not concern yourself over a mere servant like me." With that, he closed the door behind him.
"Hmmm… Old injuries from the looks of it. Some may need proper hospital treatment, but the rest can be treated now," Dr Ragland said with an observing gaze as he assessed William's wounds. William had been asked to strip, before the doctor had started his assessment.
The doctor made more comments to himself, muttering about William's health and injuries, then abruptly stopped, leaving William confused. Then without another word, William found himself ushered out of the room, fully dressed, and just in time to see Lady Claudia headed for his room, hand raised as if to knock. Upon seeing him, Lady Darius cocked her head in amusement, "You got chased out?" She asked, laughter lacing her voice.
William nodded in embarrassment. This got a giggle from her. "No matter," she said, "Since I was just about to ask for you since your meals are ready." William perked up at this and followed Lady Darius to the main living room of the penthouse, only to stop in surprise. His jaw dropped at the sight before him.
There was a round table in the middle of the room laden with food. Two cushioned seats were pushed into either sides of the table, awaiting them. But what captured William's eyes was the food. His eyes widened at the sight of the bountiful food laid out on the table. There were so many, so many he didn't think that he could finish them all.
"M-mi- milady, I d-d-d- don't think I can finish all those by myself." William stammered in his shock.
Lady Darius merely smiled and said, "You're not the only one who's hungry. I spent the whole day searching for you, so I'm starved as well! Take a seat, and then dig in. And by the way, stop calling me Lady Darius. I want you to call me Lady Claudia or Dia, as my family and friends call me."
William nodded in a daze, before settling himself into the seat, and with another smile from Lady Claudia, began to dig in hungrily. He hadn't eaten much before he ran away from the prison, and even if he had eaten, the scant meals he usually had wouldn't be able to satisfy his hunger. But now, Lady Claudia was offering him all the food he could eat, satisfying his hunger.
After several minutes, William leaned back in his chair, satisfied at last. Lady Claudia looked at him with amusement plain on her face. "Satisfied?" She asked. William nodded.
She then rested her elbows on the table, and resting her hands on her open palm, she gazed at him with curiosity plain in her gaze. "You're not much of a talker, aren't you, William?"
William looked at her upon hearing this, and pondered his words before speaking carefully, "I don't talk much because back at the prison where they experimented on me, they did not encourage much conversation from the prisoners. For them, the only time you can talk is when the scientists or higher ups talk to you or specifically order you to talk. If you talked out of turn, you will be punished. Therefore, I guess this became a habit of mine; avoid talking unless people talk to me or I have something to say." Lady Claudia blinked in surprise at this statement. William couldn't blame her surprise. After all, he too felt as surprised as she did at his rant. It had been some time ever since he had the chance to properly express himself, so it may be why he talked so much.
Lady Claudia was the one who broke the awkward silence. "Well, William, since you have no actual name, I'll give you one then. How would you like your full name to be William de Sentis?"
"William de Sentis?" William repeated, letting the word roll around his mouth. It sounded… mysterious, and nice as well. Lady Claudia explained, "De Sentis means the Thorn in Italian and Latin respectively. And since you're to be my Thorn, it would suit you."
William looked up. He let a smile fill his face. "I like it. My deepest thanks, Lady Claudia. And there is something I wish to do as well, so may I?" Lady Claudia merely smiled, awaiting him. William took that as a yes, and slid off his seat, going to her and kneeling down on his left knee in front of her.
Then, with his right hand over his heart, he bowed his head to her and vowed. "I, William de Sentis, swear to protect you always as long as there is breath in this body of mine. I also swear never to lie to you, leave you alone, betray you or hurt you. This I swear upon my unworthy life and the name I now bear as your Thorn, Lady Claudia, my Crimson Rose."
Two months later
"William, where are you?" William looked up in surprise upon hearing Claudia's voice. It had been two months ever since he entered her service, and the other servants had been surprisingly accepting about it. There hadn't been any protests about him sticking so close to Claudia; instead, they just didn't mind it. Apparently, they had been told that he was to be her manservant and Thorn, so they thought that his unusual behavior was one of being protective.
"William, answer me!" Claudia's voice sounded imperiously. William sighed and put down the vase which roses he had been replacing. He had spotted a wilt in one of them and was just about to take it out when Claudia had called him. With graceful steps, he crossed the hall and soon reached her bedroom. Inside, Claudia was frantically grabbing her clothes, yanking shirts or jeans out of the wardrobe before tossing them onto her bed. William blinked in surprise at the scene, before asking mildly, "Claudia, what in the world are you doing?" He had gotten used to calling her Claudia while they were alone, but refused to call her Dia yet, even though she insisted on it sometimes.
"I'm getting dressed since we're going to the labs," Claudia answered, making him raise an eyebrow in surprise. He had been to the labs before, which belonged to Claudia's company, and had surprised at the sight of the numerous men working around the clock to produce the best medicinal products in the country. He had seen how Claudia had reacted around them, her happiness as she chatted with them and shared their dismay when one of their experiments would, quite often, literally blow up in their faces, leaving a very surprised and soot streaked scientist with an Afro hairstyle while his friends hooted with laughter at his surprise.
"Why are we going to the labs?" William asked in curiosity.
He was answered with a grunt as Claudia finally made her choice and pulled on her outfit, which consisted of a pink parka and a black long sleeved shirt beneath. When she finally poked her head out, he got a proper answer. "I asked the guys there to make you a hair growth tonic so that you won't have to wear the wig anymore. After all, you obviously don't like it wearing it." William blinked at this, for he had no idea that she had noticed his discomfort. It was true that he disliked wearing the wig, for if he bent down too much, even the hairclips that affixed his wig to the bare patches of hair he had would loosen their grip, making the wig fall off his head. Still, he wore the wig since he was mostly bald even after two long months, and it wouldn't bode well if the new Darius butler was bald. It would ruin the Darius name.
Soon enough, they were in the car and on their way to the factory where the labs were located. William did not drive since he was still taking his driving lessons, and wasn't ready to take the wheel. Instead, he sat in the front passenger seat while Lady Darius sat in the backseat, absorbed in her iPhone and chatting with her twin who had now assumed the name Rouge and began his operations in the London Underworld. The drive wasn't long, and they soon reached the factory, entering the doors and heading straight for the Science Department, which doors they entered but regretted not bringing earphones, for their ears were immediately assaulted with a barrage of noises.
Claudia winced while William adjusted his glasses ruefully. He had gotten the glasses from Claudia once she realized his far sightedness, and wore it always unless he needed to look at things from a far distance. Once their ears had adjusted to the noise, Claudia took the lead, heading straight for a row of tables somewhere in the middle.
The sight of chief scientist David Renner greeted them fast asleep while the experimental potion he was in the middle of testing bubbled dangerously. Claudia, seeing the danger, quickly shook the brown haired scientist awake, and pointed to the potion when greeted with a sleepy, "What?" David was quick to react and managed to turn off the Bunsen burner in time before the whole thing exploded.
With the crisis averted, David greeted the newcomers cheerfully, "Nice to see you again, Miss Darius, Mr. Sentis. I assume you're here for the hair growth tonic?" Claudia gave way to an impatient sigh, and said, "Hurry it up already, David, since William and I are losing our patience by the minute!"
David chuckled at her impatient remark, before rummaging through the paperwork on his desk to reveal a nasty looking green fluid that swirled in a flask. William felt sick just looking at it, while Claudia crossed her arms, awaiting an explanation. And she got one. "This potion will ensure that Mr. Sentis' hair will grow back in his natural hair color, so no worries! He'll be back to normal soon," David assured the doubtful couple.
"William, you ready?" Claudia questioned, her eyes full of concern for him. William sighed, and muttered, "Here goes nothing," before he took the flask and, plugging his nose, downed the potion in one gulp. He blacked out immediately.
When he woke up, William was first aware of Claudia's angered shouting, and David's constant apologies. William blinked in surprise, and the world came back into focus, allowing him to see Claudia's face just inches away from his, full of worry that went away at the sight of his open eyes. "Are you alright, William?" She asked in concern. William nodded, and immediately wished he didn't, for his world swirled sickeningly for a while before coming back into focus.
"I'm fine," He said, before turning an accusing gaze towards David, who cringed under William's glare. William slowly got to his feet, before he walked straight towards the scientist who was shrinking back in fear.
"Why didn't you tell me about the side effects?" William asked, his voice emotionless.
"Because you didn't warn me that you'll take it all in one gulp! It was meant to be drunken slowly in the first place!" David managed to retort, "And besides, the potion worked, though it might be a little too good." This was muttered under David's breath, and brought instant panic to William.
William turned a pleading gaze towards Claudia. "Lady Claudia, what does he mean?" William asked anxiously. Claudia merely held back laughter even as she handed him a mirror silently in reply. William grabbed it and looked at his reflection, only to freeze in shock.
He had hair agin, and it was a beautiful icy blonde, the only problem being that, his hair was long. Very long, and it reached his waist. While he stood in shock, David came up with a suggestion, "Perhaps we can try cutting your hair to normal length."
David's suggestion was tried immediately, and it looked as if it was going to work, until it grew back in the space of a few hours to the same length as before. William put his head in his hands in dismay, while Claudia, David and the rest of the scientists who had seen longhaired William roared with laughter. It took hours for them to control their laughter, and when Claudia had gained some semblance of control, she handed him a ruby red hair ribbon, which William grudgingly accepted and used to tie his long hair back.
It was late at night when they finally returned to the manor, Claudia half asleep on her feet. She was immediately ushered into her bedroom and had her clothes changed by the female servants, so when they finally left, allowing him entry, Claudia was already in bed, and dozing off.
William smiled at the sight of his young mistress deeply asleep, before tucking her in warmly. He was just about to leave when he heard her mumble, "I like you with long hair, William, so don't be upset." William paused at the door when he heard her comment, then smiled to himself once more. I think I can get used to this after all, William mused to himself before shutting the door behind him.
Raychaell: TADA! Another chapter done! Longest chapter done in my personal history. Love it, review then, and I'll dedicate the next chapter to you!
Rouge: So that's how William got long hair?
Raychaell: Yup!
Rouge: *flatly* And the only reason he didn't complain was because little Sis likes it.
William: As long as Dia accepts it, I'm fine with anything.
Rouge: You're taking obsession to a whole new level, Will.
William: I am NOT obsessed with Dia! I am merely her servant, so her likes and dislikes become mine as well!
Raychaell: While these two idiots argue away, please review! Go on! That blue link at the bottom of your screen is compelling you to do it, so obey…