"It was around 1730 when I took up a contract with Lord Rutler. It wasn't a difficult contract; however, it was a unique case for me. Lord Rutler was a married man; so, I'm sure you know it was a risk for me, especially since it was a very unhappy marriage. Lady Rutler had gradually gotten closer and closer to me. She didn't know that I was a demon, mind you. I just saw her as my master's wife for quite a while.
"There were some very dangerous people after my master at that time and it was common for him to ask me to accompany his wife on her various outings as protection. She was a stunning woman. It wasn't long, being around her often, that I began to look upon her in a different way. After all, she put herself out there to me…and any demon would be a fool to refuse," the demon smiled, obviously reminiscing.
"What happened to her?" Rose inquired quietly.
"I killed her." Rose stilled as he elaborated. "My master found out what we had been doing behind his back and ordered that I kill her. He wasn't angry with me. He was angry with her for 'betraying his trust.' So, I did."
"I don't understand. How did you-"
"I remember that night like it happened only seconds ago," he continued without hearing her. His eyes were downcast, focusing on nothing. "I let her believe that it was going to be a night like any other night. I went to her room after my master went down for the night. I went to her bed. She had no idea that I was about to plunge that knife into her.
"I recall that feeling. As soon as the metal pierced her skin, as soon as the blood began to flow," his voice hitched, "my whole being felt the pain. I felt my chest seize, my gut drop, and even my breathing had stopped. I cried; for the first time in well over 2,000 years, I felt a tear, a single clear tear." He took a moment and composed himself before looking to Rosalina again. "Did you know that when you lose your emotions, you will cry also? It's a single tear then, too, only it isn't clear; it's a single drop of blood."
Rosalina recalled hearing that before. She looked at this demon before her, Nickola Luxor, and didn't see the powerful demon she knew him to be. Instead, she saw a broken, disheartened man.
"I didn't figure out what had happened until much later. It had been so long since I had felt pain or sadness that I didn't recognize it. So, I continued with my contract until it was finished. I even took on another contract afterwards. It took many contracts for me to figure things out. I started asking around, seeing if it had happened to others before me. Soon, a few of the wrong demons found out, including Asmodeus. As soon as he got promoted to his new position, I was banned and he started sending out demons to hunt me."
"But there were others, weren't there? I know, after you were banned, there were about five more demons cast out and three in the past few years have gone missing."
"Yes. So it would seem. I've kept up with them, too. They were all older demons who had recent contracts that went awry in some way."
"So, why do away with them? Shouldn't they want to figure out why it happened and maybe study it or even come up with a way to stop it?"
"That's just it, though. That is stopping it. We older demons, when acting on our own feelings, are very much a threat to headquarters. I have heard that Asmodeus went to Satan and they, together, planned out how to get rid of us. I'm not even sure if Lucifer knows about all of this. Satan has been doing some under handed business for the last few hundred years."
"That would explain a few things. Is it somehow connected to the Demon Blade?" she asked, thinking of Sebastian's recent encounter with it.
"What have you heard?"
"Well, after you left, many higher-ranking demons started telling us that the Demon Blade had been found and destroyed. We were all curious about how these demons had gone missing and could only guess they were killed, but we couldn't figure out how since they were all older and immortal. Sebastian said that he came into contact with the Demon Blade recently, too."
Nickola stood, walked over to the stack of papers in the corner, and filed through them, looking for something. He picked up a single letter and read carefully. He gazed up to her and said, "I have a contact still in Hell. He sends me updates on things he finds…disconcerting. He sent me this letter a while back saying that he had heard of demons being contracted to manufacture something in the inner circles of Hell. Do you think they have found a way to manufacture a Demon Blade?"
"Is that possible?"
"It only makes sense."
"What if there's more than one?" she asked, suddenly fearful. "If there's a way to manufacture them, then there must be a way to destroy them or maybe make yourself immune to its affects, right?"
"I'll have to write to him at once," he said, grabbing paper and pen, before setting eagerly at the table.
"Is there any way he could get this information to a friend of mine? His name is Johannes Ferdinand."
"Is he trustworthy?"
"I believe so, yes. He's the one who helped me escape." He nodded and quickly set to writing his letter. Rosalina thought about all the information he'd given her. "Wait. Why would they be after Sebastian, though? He hasn't gotten his emotions back."
Nickola lifted his head and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Maybe they only think he has because of him not bringing his demon master to headquarters." She thought for a moment. "That's why Asmodeus sent me that day! He called me into headquarters so that he could send me to deliver an ultimatum to Sebastian. He wanted to see if my showing up would cause Sebastian to show his emotions," she said quickly. "But he hasn't."
Nickola stood and walked to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said, "I suggest you find out for sure. It does sound as if he has and perhaps is hiding the fact or denying it. Maybe he doesn't even realize it yet."
"How do you suppose I do that?"
"I've found that bringing up the past is quite effective. Stir up something that happened a long time ago. It should be something meaningful." With that, she remembered the night she gave him her last order. "Now, go. Where are you staying so that, if I find out something, I can let you know?"
"My old mistress's manor just outside of London. It's under the name of Vaughn."
Sebastian had been having a difficult time with Ciel that afternoon. Teaching him to at least control his energy wasn't going to be easy. After their short tea break, he set to trying a different approach.
Ciel sat in a chair in the center of the room. His eyes began to glow red before he closed them just as he'd done every attempt before this. Sebastian's voice cut through the silence. "Botchan. I want you to imagine that, within the confines of your body, there exists a dark mass. That mass emits a cloud of black smoke that flows around you." It was an approach that he remembered from his time as a new demon. He hadn't needed to use this particular approach, but a few demons needed the extra help. "You need to pull that smoke back into the confines of your body. Try imagining that, when you breathe in, you're breathing in that smoke so that no more can escape."
Sebastian watched patiently as Ciel tried holding in his energy. He took a slow intake of breath and held it. Sebastian felt the young demon's energy recede, if only a little. At least he was getting somewhere.
"How was that?" Ciel asked, losing focus and letting his energy out again.
"Very good, my Lord. You'll be there in no time."
"Well, that time will have to wait," came a voice from behind him. Turning around, he saw Rosalina. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "We have a lot to discuss."
Rosalina had come to see Henry. Sebastian had helped her find a book that could prove useful. Things had proven even more difficult when the church forbade his annulment or divorce from Catherine. There was a man who wrote a book based on his idea that a King was the same as God over his kingdom. Therefore, he was more powerful than the church. It could give Henry the boost he needed to cut himself off from the church in order to get rid of Catherine for good.
When she saw Anne Boleyn, she took the chance to talk with her. "Lady Anne, how good to see you," she called to the dark haired girl. "How are you today?" The girl stopped to see who had spoken to her.
"Oh, I'm very well, thank you. You are the Duchess Rosalina, correct?" Anne wore a heavily embroidered day dress, corset synched tightly. Her dark curls drifted over her shoulders.
"Yes, how kind of you to remember," she said, feigning a polite attitude. "You are here to see Henry?"
"Yes, he invited me to ride with him today."
"Would you mind if I walked with you? I needed to see him about something."
"Oh, of course not; please do," she said, continuing down the hallway.
"Do you like him?" Rose whispered to Anne, smiling. Anne smiled in return. "I think the feelings are mutual."
"Do you think so?"
"Absolutely. I must warn you, however. Henry can be very persuasive and he looses interest very easily. Keep him on his toes and, whatever you do, do not give yourself to him unless you have a proposal." Anne nodded in agreement as they continued into the courtyard where Henry stood with two horses, readied for an afternoon ride. "Henry!" Rosalina called out to him.
"Rose, what brings you here?" he asked her in return. "Anne and I were just about to go for a ride."
"Oh, yes, I know. She just informed me, but I only came by to talk to you for just a second," she answered before he led her off to the side. "I only thought that I'd bring you this," she said, handing the book to him. "I just finished reading it and it's utterly fantastic. Henry, you really should read this as soon as possible. It's truly enlightening. I think you thoroughly enjoy it." He took the book from her before looking over to Anne, who was petting the horse that had been picked for her. "She's quite beautiful, Henry."
"Listen, Rose, about the other day…when I," he started.
"Don't worry about it, Henry. You've been under a considerable amount of stress lately and, yes, the kiss took me by surprise, but I understand that's all it was…just a kiss. Think no more of it." She watched his smile widen. "Anne really likes you, you know," she said quietly before excusing herself, "I'll be off so that you can attend to your guest." Rose laughed before giving a gentle curtsy to her king.
It had been a great success. The past couple of weeks had gone very well. Henry had cut England off from the Catholic church, which not only made things quiet a bit easier for him to be able to apply for his annulment, but thoroughly enraged Catherine, or so she'd heard.
Rosalina had met up with Henry a few days in the past week. Anne had interrupted their conversation a couple times and she had begun to think that it was on purpose. Anne had started to give Rose these looks of disapproval and concern. Luckily, they hadn't had any contact other than that and Rose hadn't seen that butler of hers since her time at court. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something about him sent chills up her spine. Sebastian had told her not to worry about him, but she just couldn't help it.
"Coffee, Miss?" asked Sebastian, who'd just opened the door to her study where she'd been sitting, going over some household accounts. She'd put herself in charge of the financial state of the Tourmaline household ever since her parents had passed. Her uncle was in charge of the estate until she married, but he wasn't the greatest with money so she would make sure things were in order, then inform him of the way things were at the end of each month. It was one of those things that just had to be done.
"Yes, thank you," she said. The butler wheeled in a cart and he prepared her familiar brew. After taking a sip, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. She watched curiously as Sebastian rounded her desk and stood behind her chair.
"Sit forward, my Lady," he said, gently pushing against her arms. She did as he said and felt his hands arch over her shoulders and begin to massage the tension from her muscles.
Rosalina immediately relaxed into his touch; putting her cup on her desk, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling. "Oh, Sebastian, you're a god…or should I say devil," she laughed at her use of the word.
After a few minutes of relaxation, there came the sound of a bell at the front door. Sebastian's fingers stilled, "It seems you have guests," he said, his tone deep and hollow. He left the room quickly and Rose followed at her own pace. As she took the final set of stairs step-by-step, she looked up, her breath catching in her chest when she saw the two figures standing at the threshold.
A/N: Well, I hope this is getting better for you guys. Things are starting to get interesting and there's a little confrontation coming soon…*hinthint* :D Thought that I'd give you guys a treat and make this one a little longer.
