Author's Note: extra long chapter so that I can buy myself an extra long break *evil smirk*
Sebastian: Mistress Rosalind shall be awaiting your reviews.
Chapter 6: Their Mistress; Fencing
Claude showed up beside me almost immediately after Joseph was out of sight. His navy blue butler's suit had transformed to a great coat in all Prussian blue, with a honey coloured rose at his lapel. And I hadn't noticed the change till now?
"Very manipulative…" he said, a knuckle to his lips. "I must say; that was impressive, Your Highness."
"Of course it was." I replied, smug. "What else do you expect from me?"
Claude's lips twitched as he turned to face me. "Of course. Your Highness shall always put up the most superior act in the arena."
I chuckled darkly. "He seems to trust people very easily. It's good that he fell for my plan, but it won't be good if he falls for others that easily too."
I began walking away, but suddenly Claude gripped my arm. I looked at him over my shoulder.
He pulled me back so that I was face-to-face with him.
"I must admit, you are looking absolutely beautiful tonight." Claude remarked, a slight hint of slyness in his voice. "The Sweet Briar flower hath not such graceful disposition."
"Being very poetic, Claude?" I chuckled yet again, cocking my head back at a slight angle, looking at him with one eye. "Shall we dance?"
"It would be my pleasure." He replied calmly as we bowed, taking my hand in his while I felt his arm wrap itself snugly around my waist.
The ballet music Swan Lake began to play as Claude twirled me on the ballroom floor. The lights in the chandelier had been dimmed by now to create a romantic and dream-like ambiance for the couples twirling alongside us. Now this is what I call dancing; it's awfully awkward when the lady has to maneuver the man.
We danced in sweet silence for some time before Claude spoke up.
"So you have no whatsoever objection to us demons finding you an amusing artifact?" Claude cocked his head to the left, studying my expression. "I think ladies usually find that to be offensive…"
"Eavesdropping now, are we?" I questioned, mockingly tilting my head like him, just to my right instead.
"When did I claim to be an angel?" Claude said in such monotone as if that wasn't supposed to be funny.
I laughed anyways, as I pushed myself closer to his body.
"So what now?" I whispered into his ear. "You're going to attempt to hurt me? Don't tell me I have to repeat all that aesthetic crap I had to say to Sebastian."
"You need not worry yourself Your Highness, for I am not so depraved as to compete with a human and lose."
"Wow." I kissed his cheek near his ear, letting my lips linger there softly for a while. Seductively. "I'd love to see you two fight for my attention. I love men who are serious and don't care about the world." I drawled. 'I want a man who boasts because he has something of worth, and not because he's composed of hot air."
"As expected of the owner of a huge firm." I felt Claude's hand trail up to my back. "You are a different story before all. Aggressive to Sebastian, caring to Joseph Frederickson, and now you tempt me…"
I giggled into his ear as I draped both of my arms over his shoulders. He encircled my waist with his arms as we kept swaying to a slow waltz.
"You are a diabolical and manipulative temptress, Your Highness…" Claude drawled in his monotone voice. "Why you were born human and not a demonic temptress, I do not know…"
"So I'd make a good succubus?" I asked, smirking slyly.
"In my opinion, yes." Claude replied, without a smirk, but just as slyly.
"Then let's just write the ending here like a succubus, shall we?" I slipped out of his arms, turned away and looked back at him over my shoulder.
"She leaves you begging for more~!" I giggled as I winked, and with a swish of my auburn locks, I walked away. Giggling at his lips curving on one side, the slightest mischief touching his gold orbs.
-bittersweet vengeance-
"Azalea, there you are!" I was standing at the foot of the huge staircase when I heard Aunt Vivian call me.
I thought I'd had the last and worst of the party when I had to talk to the wives of the other directors just for the sake of being nice at least once. They were the directors controlling foreign plants; I couldn't afford to be mean to them all the time and give them a legit reason to screw up. There's something called humanity. If I always acted like a stuck-up, obnoxious bitch, people would think I have none of that humanity. So yes, I'm basically proving a point.
Apparently, Aunt Vivian, who was now calling me in a tone which was so un-aunt-Vivian-ish that I thought she got drunk or something.
Sounded like we were the most loving Aunt-and-Niece.
I groaned as I turned, to see a strained smile on Aunt Vivian's face as she reached out and grabbed my arm.
"And this, Lord Raleigh, is my niece, Azalea Bellatrix Draconia!" Aunt Vivian introduced me to the man she brought along with her. I began to notice him as soon as I was over the shock my aunt brought with her stupid womanly voice.
I knew the man. His black hair over his fair forehead in a wind-swept tuft and underlying hazel eyes could be recognized anywhere. He was the son of the Duke of Wales. My father, the Duke of England, used to be friends with his father.
"Stefan Raleigh, son to the Duke of Wales." I said out loud, acknowledging the fact that I knew him beforehand. The man smiled gently.
"Lady Azalea Bellatrix, the Duchess of England…a pleasure," he went into a courtesy to kiss my hand. I immediately withdrew it. He stood back upright, curiously shocked.
I outstretched my hand. "I'm not one to have a thing for my hand being kissed."
Stefan Raleigh chuckled. He gladly shook my hand.
Aunt Vivian was probably getting impatient at being neglected.
"Lord Stefan Raleigh here is interested in asking your hand in marriage!" She exclaimed.
I immediately withdrew my hand, much to both their shocks.
This man, Stefan Raleigh, was a handsome man, and he stood at a height of five feet eleven, I estimated. I myself was six feet. He was also an expert fencing star. He was well-known all over England.
But his height was a major problem. I grabbed my aunt's arm.
"I thought I said I wasn't interested in marriage any time too soon!" I was pissed. "And for God's sake, he's about two inches shorter than me!" I hissed into Aunt Vivian's ear so that Raleigh would not be able to hear.
"It's your fault for being so tall at a tender age!" Aunt Vivian hissed back. She wasn't able to call the height unladylike (as it was) because she herself was of the same height.
"Tender age?! So why the hell are you trying to get me married?"
Aunt Vivian shook off my grip on her (with a lot of difficulty, and only because I loosened it) and continued to smile at Raleigh.
Her expression told me that I wouldn't want to create a scene before this man. Besides, his father was my father's friend. I wouldn't want to embarrass him…
Or would I…? He isn't my father's friend.
"All right." I turned to face Raleigh. "I'll say yes to your proposal if you defeat me in your own game."
"Pardon, my Lady?" Raleigh looked outright surprised.
"Fencing." I said calmly.
Stefan Raleigh's expression was that of as much alarm as if I had just said I was going to strip.
"…Oh, Miss Azalea," he tried to be rational without sounding rude. "A fencing match in a ball, with a lady in a dress…I don't think…"
I turned to Aunt Vivian, giving him a signal that his opinion was not wanted, therefore ignored.
"There's no other way this man can be of any worth if he does not dare participate in a challenge upholded by a lady."
Both Raleigh and Aunt Vivian looked flabbergasted by my outlandish but absolute request.
-bittersweet vengeance-
"I can't believe this is happening." Stefan Raleigh chuckled in a confused manner as he donned his helmet. "Why do I have to wear safety gear when you stay in a ball-gown without even the slightest safety precaution?"
The whole crowd of people had stopped dancing or eating or any other activity they were busy in, to clearing a circle of the ballroom floor around the Duchess of England and the son of the Duke of Wales as they picked up their fencing foils.
People of London have a way of sensing when something outlandish is about to happen under a noble's roof, I thought. How else will they replenish their stock of gossip?
Well, I picked up my foil. If this is gossip, then I shall make it so that this lasts long enough to tarnish this man's reputation. I sneered to myself as I glanced at the partially confused noble man standing with his foil.
Murmurs of 'will a lady like her duel in public' and 'can she really duel the man who is the best at fencing?' were all over the place, pissing me off.
"Because," I began as I swished my foil in the air, checking its light-weight and flexible quality. "This duel may cause you a lot more harm than you've ever known. As for me, let's just say I know I won't get hurt at all, least of all critically injured."
The whole crowd was absolutely silent by now.
"…you seem exceptionally confident." Raleigh laughed. "I like strong women, rare as they are."
Yes, you haven't seen enough strong women, I snarled in my mind. For if a deplorable man like you did, you'd know that at most times, they'd be your worst nightmares.
"Let's just cut the crap and start, shall we?" I was getting irritated due to the useless wasting of my time. Damn aunt Vivian. Sebastian would report anytime soon.
"Of course."Raleigh agreed.
"So…" I got into stance and Raleigh followed. "Since I'll be going easy on you, you may make the first move. No arguments."
Raleigh looked absolutely delighted.
"Really, now?" he mocked. "I thought ladies were always first?"
My angry look probably got him to cut it out.
He stepped forward and attacked me. His foil came straight at my face. As I was taller than him, this attack could be used to his advantage in most cases. But this is Azalea Bellatrix we're talking about!
I bent my shoulders backward to a generous angle, and spun on my heel, dragging my blade like a fan to swish near his stomach. He backed up in just a split second, shocked at the move. His look of delight had subsided into a panicked expression.
Panicking over my first move, pussy? I smirked mentally. And he says proudly that he likes strong women. Let's see you hold your own against one of the toughest you'll ever meet.
He attempted to swing at my side so that it would be harder to dodge. But, the dumbass was too late at realizing that the lunge he made was timed for a male, whose abdomen would not be curved as far as a female's. The time to reach my side would be a fraction more than any normal man's. It was hard to dodge, but Iangled myself vertically and the heavy metal spheres of my belt ties swished and hit the foil.
"How'd you avoid that so fast?" he asked, as he made another similar lunge, but still didn't realize the point.
"It's all timing, ma boy!" I laughed as I dodged yet again.
Never underestimate your opponent, pretty boy. I thought.
He tried to lunge at my stomach, as I stepped back to avoid it and immediately swept my foil to his face, which, again, he dodged by just a split second. I twirled and used my fan method again, and he kept stepping back.
The audience found it an amazing sight; the swishing of the sparkling gown in a deadly waltz, the owner of the gown not holding the man's hand but rather the foils were in close contact. The clang of the foils being the only music in this dance.
After four of these consecutive attacks while he dodged, I stopped on my toes and sprang forwards , my charge directed at his chest. The point stopped touching his armour. But he immediately used his foil to counter the point.
Too predictable.
His foil crossed with mine as he attempted the defense, and I immediately used the move again, crossing and twisting the foil so abruptly and with such force that the foil was thrown out of his shock-resultant slackened hold.
I pointed my foil at his nose, smugness radiating off my face.
"My, oh my." Raleigh panted. "You are much better than most men at this sport."
"You know nothing of me, Raleigh." I snarled. "Underestimating me is the stupidest and deadliest mistake you can ever make."
"Never shall I do the same should you accept my proposal." He smiled at me gently, hoping for a pardon.
Tough luck.
"I'm not interested in a relationship where I have to be the man." I chuckled humourlessly. "It wouldn't look nice: me in a black tuxedo carrying my groom in a white ball gown on the day of marriage, now would it?"
The crowd looked flabbergasted and Raleigh looked embarrassed. I could see my fuming aunt in the crowd. And yes, you guessed right. I don't really care.
"Well…" I turned to the thoroughly flabbergasted face of Raleigh. I put one hand to my hip. "…I meant you would look ugly in a ball gown. As far as I'm concerned, I'd look absolutely ravishing in a black tuxedo~!"
The women in the crowd gasped, while a few men began to laugh.
Claude was immediately by my side to take my fencing foil and hand me a glass of wine.
I took a sip and looked at Raleigh over the rim of the glass.
"And just so you know that I know, your sport isn't really fencing, now is it?" I chuckled at his eyes getting wider than saucers. "And I'm letting you know, as something between you and me, that I can beat you at that too."
Stefan Raleigh, as I could tell by his look, wouldn't be bothering me again any time too soon.
-bittersweet vengeance-
"So you used the information I obtained in the case before the last, I observed." Claude whispered into my ear as we walked around the ballroom arm-in-arm.
"Oh, of course!" I exclaimed softly. "I may say you two are absolute nuisances who are not worth your salt, but yet, I go through every bit-and-piece of information you both have accumulated in every single case, regardless of whether it has anything to do with catching the wrong-doer or not."
"I would exchange a hundred pounds for your reason." Claude said in monotone.
"Isn't it obvious?" I giggled. "You gather information from the deepest, darkest regions anyone can ever get to. Who knows what shit you dig up about these important people who show off their rich butts like there's no one better than them. So I read everything you two write, and often get to discover fatally harmful (but useful to me, of course) facts about the nobles around me. And it is obvious that each and every one of these pompous asses have a significantly dark and illegally harmful secret they would want to take to the grave." We moved over to the buffet table. "That dirt you dig up, can seriously ruin their reputations, and increase mine." I picked up a pastry and bit into it. "It's all part of the political game, for name, fame and wealth."
I laughed heartily. "I personally consider it my job to make that shit hit the fan."
"And, what if someone found out secrets about you?" Claude handed me another pastry and I gladly bit into it. It was made of chocolate icing on the outside, with blackcurrant paste squashed into the middle of the chocolate cake layers. "Someone leaks out secrets about you that you would never want anyone to know about?"
I laughed. Again.
"Claude, Claude, Claude…" I spun around on my heel so that I was facing him as I leaned my hips against the table, resting my palms along its edge. "Those people care about their reputation with the newspapers because their secrets are outlandish and no one would ever imagine them capable of such abomination!" I looked into the crowd. "If you take Mister Stefan Raleigh there: who would consider him to be involved with the Shanghai mafia dealing in the London underground at present while he interacts with people in such a gentle and noble way? Who would consider that gorgeous man to be curled up in some Chinese divan, covered in sluts and marijuana smoke, gambling against some mafia lord famed for murdering a legion of people?"
"You have a point there, my Lady." Claude followed my line of sight.
"See? Those ladies seem smitten by his good-looks and calm attitude." I pointed to the far end of the other table where Raleigh stood flirting with some ladies, while the titter-birds tittered to their hearts' contents. I laughed yet again. 'An avid gambler he is! And he loves smoking marijuana."
"Hmm," Claude was pondering with a finger against his chin. "What would you say if someone accused you of the same thing? You also, as far as I know, love both gambling and marijuana."
"Shh!" I raised a finger to my lips and widened my eyes in shock, before bursting into peals of laughter. "Do you think I care? My reputation of being outlandish is already popular, so a bit more won't throw them social gossipers out of their rockers."
After my chuckles had subsided, Claude spoke up again.
"But what if…" he looked at me straight into my eyes. "Someone found out about you having demon butlers?"
I blinked. Claude thought he'd finally gotten me.
Cue laughter like none of the ones before. Claude looked a tad less monotonous, and slightly confused.
I pulled a fat strand of my curls over my lips to make it look like a mustache. I used my other hand to form a circle and brought it to my eye to make it look like a monocle.
"Hey, Aberline," I motioned to Claude in a gruff way, turning my voice into a heavy, angry one.
Claude started to look a bit on the lines of amused. "Are you trying to act like Lord Randall, Your Highness?"
"Aberline, I knew that woman was rotten on the inside!" I huffed. "She has contracted demons for butlers!"
I dropped the hand and the hair and took an empty fruit basket from the table and put it on my head upside down like a hat. Claude mouthed: Aberline.
"What?" I said in squeaky tones to make Aberline sound dorky.
"And then…" I said in my own voice.
Claude looked quite interested by now. At least I assumed he found it interesting.
"Hahahaha!" I voiced a silly, squeaky laugh. "Sir, I believe everything you ever say," I copied Aberline, "but this is just too unbelievable. I think you need to visit s psychiatrist!"
Claude looked like he was waiting for a summary.
I put down the basket, still chuckling. "In short, people will stop believing you once you drag them out of their rational world. I'm not rational to them anymore, so they just wave it off like; yeah, she always does something like that. And as for demons, they'll just say: yes, and I have a hag in my living room."
"In short…" Claude seemed to guess that I had more to say.
"In short…" I twirled my curls on my fingers. "You've got to be an idiot to say it out loud and then get called a loony by the whole world. After all, these narrow-minded people just prefer not to think or believe outside the box. What proof would anyone ever have of you two being demons? Unless, for some stupid reason, you both decide to rip off your shirts and transform into hideous seven-headed beasts with six thousand fangs and lethal breath in the middle of the city square, I see no way for anyone to buy it."
I laughed again, thinking of a scenario when the decent butlers suddenly stroll into London market square and rip off their shirts just to turn into the beasts I described, just pink, and chibi-ish.
"Wonderful acting, my Lady," I was startled when Sebastian suddenly spoke up from behind me. "Though, the kind of woman you are, I believe you wouldn't find our true forms to be half as hideous as you described. Wouldn't you agree, Claude?" The demons seemed to involved in trying to sting each other with words to notice me grabbing my chest with the sudden appearance of Sebastian.
"She would even find a ferocious beast like that to be attractive, the kind of woman she is." Claude said. "I believe we know you enough to assume that, Your Highness. And…" Claude turned to Sebastian. "…know that I would not agree with your statements were it on some other topic.
"Rest assured, for your opinions regarding other matters shall not be asked." Sebastian sneered.
"For you would be afraid of my opinions to be better than yours and therefore overrule them in the eyes of the mistress."
"No…rather because I would probably not even regard your existence at the point."
"Or…rather because you'd be scared of competition."
"You don't really consider yourself to be on par with me, do you?"
"I don't wish t consider myself on par with the likes of you."
"You do mean that I'm on a level you will never reach."
"Stop bickering, you immature sensible demons…no matter how paradoxical that is…" I laughed, before turning and grabbing Sebastian by his tie. "And I swear…" I growled. "One of these days, you are going to give me a cardiac arrest."
A/N: see ya'll later hope u enjoyed Claude scene!