Chapter Six
Butler, At the Funeral. Bride, Bound by Blood
"The murderer's distinctive style has earned him a unique nickname from the press, Jack the Ripper."
"Yes, the uterus is missing, which is quite… odd."
"Exactly. None of the people in his mansion could have done it either."
"Sebastian… you did it?"
"In the end, you two were the only ones who could be Jack the Ripper. You, Madame Red, and Grell Sutcliffe."
"You brat…! You shouldn't have been born in the first place!"
"I can't kill him… I can't kill their beloved son…!"
"Too late for that! How disappointing! What use do I have for you if you're just another woman?"
All these memories passed through Marianne's mind as she watched Ciel walk over to the dead body of Madame Red, and place Sebastian's black coat over her. In his back pocket, she vaguely saw the outline of a gun.
Why didn't you use it, Ciel…? She thought to herself. Is it because you felt that she couldn't go through with it in the end…?
Meanwhile, Grell and Sebastian were engaged in combat. The Reaper swung for the demon butler, but Sebastian leapt out of the way in a backwards arch.
"Here we are, a demon and a Reaper!" Grell laughed.
Sebastian aimed a kick at him, but Grell evaded him.
"I suppose we'll never resolve this!" Grell sighed wistfully as the demon leapt after him. "These feelings that we have are forbidden. Oh my! It's just like Romeo and Juliet!"
Sebastian was sickened at the comparison, his Juliet was currently below them, slowly bleeding to death. He wasn't about to have the Reaper soil his dear mate with such crude imagery.
"Oh my dear Bassy!" Grell lamented. "Wherefore art thou, my sweet Bassy?"
Sebastian's foot connected with Grell's chin, sending him flying backwards to the roof. The demon landed opposite.
"If you would deny thy Master and refuse thy name, I know we could be happy together." Grell smiled.
Sebastian smiled slightly.
"The moment my Master uttered my name as Sebastian, and the moment Marianne gave me Michaelis as my surname, the words became our solemn contract. I was re-baptised as his servant, and his alone. From that day, I have been Sebastian."
Outlined by the silver light of the moon, he continued with a determination that set his red eyes ablaze.
"By yonder moon, I swear it."
He remembered Marianne saying once that the moon was more constant than the sun. Day or night, it can be seen in the sky, ever changing, yet always remaining to watch over those beneath its eerie glow. It was under that very moon's glow that Sebastian promised to protect her without the order of his master. At the time, he hadn't known just how precious she would be to him…
Grell openly mocked his promise.
"To swear by something as inconstant as the moon, how could I believe your words? Yet I see your eyes and know that they show what your lips and hands long to do."
Sebastian's eyes were glowing magenta in the darkness, Ciel kneeling beside Marianne reflected in the slits of his pupils.
"You caress me softly with your unworthy devilish gaze!" Grell was in raptures. "It's too much, Bassy! I would bear your children if only you'd let me!"
The demon gritted his teeth and shuddered.
"Please stop that. It's revolting."
And only my Marianne will ever bear my offspring.
The image of Marianne with her belly swollen with his child brought fire to his loins, running through his body with eager lust. The thought of her moaning under him as he paid homage to her tender body and his offspring inside her was too perfect, and he hoped to make it reality someday soon. But first he had to deal with a very irritable pest…
Grell shook his head.
"Oh, you treat me so coldly."
His Scythe whirred to life once again. He ran across the roofs and took a swing at Sebastian, who dodged effortlessly.
"Beautiful tyrant!"
He swung again.
"Fiend angelic!"
Sebastian leaned out the way.
"My dove feathered raven!"
Sebastian knocked his hand and made his aim slip. The blade sunk into the tiles of the roof.
"Oh Bassy!"
The demon slammed his foot onto the Reaper's hand to make sure it stayed in place. Grell stared up at Sebastian, eyes seductive while the demon's gaze was cold and unforgiving.
"Bassy, my love, if only cruel morning would never come! Then the two of us could continue like this forever! Our love permanently lit by the moon's seductive glow!"
Grell leaned forward.
"But no. I'm afraid our adventure ends here."
He knocked himself into Sebastian, making the butler's eyes widen as blood trickled from his lip.
"Shall we part with a passionate kiss? No? Then goodnight, my love, a thousand times, goodnight!"
Grell slashed Sebastian from shoulder to hip. An explosion of red erupted from the demon's chest.
Marianne, whose shoulders were held in Ciel's grip, released a violent scream.
"SEBASTIAN!"
The pain in the small of her back was excruciating, almost to the point of passing out. But she couldn't turn her eyes away.
Grell smirked at Sebastian.
"There! Now, I'm sure your Cinematic Record is far more interesting than any human's!" he laughed in glee.
The streams of Cinematic Record exploding from Sebastian's chest were white and fuzzy. It took a few moments, but soon the images began to take shape…
Staring back at the Reaper, was the calm chibi form with Tanaka with a cup of tea in his hands.
One image after another, the Record showed the disasters and antics the servant trio got into. There was the occasional image of Marianne in her butler's uniform, mostly looking at Sebastian over her shoulder with wide blue eyes and a pretty smile. But it was mostly the incompetence of Finny, Bard and MeyRin.
"No, no, no, no, no! Who are these people?!" Grell cried, shaking his head. "What the Hell is this?!"
From his bloodied mouth, a smile ran across Sebastian's face.
"That is what my life has been the past two years after all."
The Reaper's temper was growing more and more.
"I don't want to see your daily chores! I know all that!" he snapped. "Come on! Show me the good stuff!"
Sebastian swept behind his opponent, a smirk on his lips.
"So sorry. I'm afraid I charge for the juicy bits."
He pressed a finger to his lips and winked down at Marianne, who blushed brilliant red under his gaze.
Grell snapped at him, irritated to have lost his attention to the girl.
"Skin-flint!"
Sebastian retaliated by aiming a kick, but the Reaper leapt away before it had a chance to land. The demon wiped the blood from his face and sighed.
"Look at that. My clothes are ruined again." He began to remove his tailcoat. "This is past mending."
Grell sneered.
"You must be pretty confident to worry about your clothes right now. Of course, you know I always appreciate a sharp-looking man." The toothy grin on his face was more than evident. "Well done Bassy!"
Sebastian whipped his coat to his side, white shirt and black vest stained with blood.
"There was one technique that I absolutely did not want to use." He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the Reaper. "But I have no other choice."
The Reaper smirked, his Scythe buzzing to live.
"So, you're finally going to fight me seriously. Shall we send the curtain down with the next blow?" he asked. "I'll miss you terribly. But perhaps we'll meet again. Farewell!"
They leapt at one another, ready to come to blows.
It seemed like a sure thing. That was until Sebastian jammed his tailcoat into the working gears of the Death Scythe, bringing the blades to a grinding halt. He landed gracefully on the roof while Grell crashed into a heap, clutching his precious Scythe like a lifeline.
"What the Hell?!" he snapped.
"That was my finest tailcoat," complained Sebastian. "It was made of the highest quality Yorkshire wool. It was a very tricky fabric; once it becomes caught in something, it becomes exceedingly difficult to remove."
Grell kept trying to pull the coat out, with little success.
"How could you do this to me?!" he cried.
"I acquired that coat at the manor and I certainly didn't want to use it for something like this." Sebastian said. "But, you had already ruined it after all. Even Marianne wouldn't be able to fit it…"
A shit eating smile then spread across his face.
"So, fisticuffs, yes? That suits me quite well. I do have some expertise in that area."
Cracking his knuckles, he leant closer to his prey. Grell was defenceless, and terrified.
"Please, just one request! Not my face!"
That hardly mattered. Sebastian was particularly determined to land his fists and feet to the Reaper's face. It seemed like the perfect revenge for keeping him away from tending to his mate's injuries.
"I said no face!" Grell complained.
Sebastian gave one last resounding punch to his jaw, which sent him careering to the ground.
He was so close to where Marianne, Ciel and Madame Red's body were sitting, so Sebastian kicked him out the way to make sure they weren't harmed. Grell landed on his face on the cobbles. The demon landed in front of his master and mate, the Death Scythe embedding itself into the ground beside him.
"I'm sorry," apologised Sebastian. "I misjudged the distance, My Lord."
Ciel arched a brow at his butler.
"You look pretty awful," he said. He glanced down at Marianne. "Both of you do actually."
"He caused me a little bit of trouble actually." Sebastian smiled. "Are you holding out well, Marianne?"
The girl nodded her head shakily.
"Just deal with him so we can go home…" she whispered. "It hurts so much, Sebastian…"
He leaned down and ran a hand through her bedraggled hair.
"It will be sorted soon. I shall see to it."
Grell lifted his head painfully and let out a grunt.
"I'll show you someday…"
Sebastian looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh dear. It would seem one can't kill a Reaper with fists alone."
He took the Scythe from the ground and approached Grell with a smirk.
"Well then, I'll just try this. His very special Reaper Scythe." Removing his tailcoat from the blade with a flourish, he continued. "There! That's unstuck. Now it should cut right through you."
Grell tried to scramble away, but the demon slammed his foot down on his face and forced him to stay still.
"I must say this is much nicer," smiled Sebastian. "I prefer kicking to being kicked."
He glanced over his shoulder with a devilish grin.
"Master, he's revolting but still a divine being. Are you prepared to accept whatever consequences that come from killing him?"
"Sebastian, do you need me to repeat my order?" Ciel retorted with a slight glare.
"People should accept all that comes when they commit sins. I have been for years and it's the best decision I ever made." Marianne whispered. "It's brought me far more happiness than praying for forgiveness to a damned figurehead for religion. Do what you will, Sebastian. Do what you will."
Sebastian smiled at her words and bowed his head to Ciel.
"No, Sir. No need to repeat yourself."
Turning to Grell again, who was squirming and screeching beneath his shoe, he smirked in satisfaction.
"We've finally found something you're good at, screaming. Very well done," he mocked.
Bringing the Scythe above his head, he prepared to slam it down on the Reaper.
"As a reward, I shall kill you with this precious little toy of yours!"
"No, please stop! Don't kill me!" Grell pleaded.
"So sorry." Sebastian smiled.
"I can tell you who killed the boy's parents!"
Those words made Ciel's eyes widen. But before Sebastian could hit his mark and the boy could say a word, a long pair of blades, pruning shears if Marianne wasn't very much mistaken, intercepted the Scythe. They all looked up and saw a black suited figure up on the rooftop.
He stood in the light of the moon. His black hair neat and slicked back, and a pair of square-rimmed glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose.
"I apologise for interrupting," he said, his voice calm and collected.
The shears retracted and he continued.
"Let me introduce myself. I am William T. Spears and administrator of the Grim Reaper Staffing Association."
William pushed his glasses up his nose with his shears, green eyes glancing down to the people below.
"I have come to retrieve that Reaper there."
Grell looked up at him with a smile.
"William! Oh William! Did you come to save me?"
William leapt down from the roof and landed on Grell's head. Marianne flinched when his face was ploughed into the dirt.
That has to hurt…
William opened the book under his arm.
"Attention Reaper Grell Sutcliffe," he read. "You have violated several regulations. First, you have killed people not of the To-Die List. Second, you have used a Death Scythe that has been modified without authorisation. And finally, you have offered someone strictly classified information regarding the identity of his relatives' murderer."
His heel ground into the back of the Reaper's head, making it crunch and Grell groan in pain. The book vanished as he jumped off and stood in front of Sebastian. William bowed low.
"I apologise for all the trouble this wretch has caused." He extended a business card to the demon with his pruning shears. "Here. Please accept my card."
Sebastian took the little slip of card between his gloved fingers. William sighed heavily.
"Honestly… I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to bow my head to demon scum like you."
Sebastian could only smile helplessly at those words, shrugging as though it wasn't his fault.
"It's a disgrace to Grim Reapers." William continued.
"Then perhaps you should keep a better eye on your minions. So they don't trouble us." Sebastian retorted with a smirk, tossing the card aside. "Humans are so easily tempted. They will do anything when in the grip of utter despair. They will grasp at any thread that promises to save them from unhappiness, no matter the consequences. You should know that."
Spears' head whipped up and glared at him.
"That's a charming bit of hypocrisy. Demons capitalise on that quality more often than we do," he said.
Sebastian smiled.
"That, I cannot deny."
The Reaper looked over his shoulder at Ciel and Marianne. Ciel placed a hand on her shoulder, glaring at the man who watched them with such curiosity.
"Right now you seem to be a tamed dog," remarked William. "Makes you less dangerous than the rabid mongrels running around free."
Everyone stood still when he walked over to the prone girl and pointed the sharp end of his shears at her face.
"Your name and date of birth, if you would be so kind."
Marianne stumbled over her words, not entirely comfortable with the pointy thing so close to her face.
"M-Marianne Blackmore. 1st November 1869."
William summoned a long list and glanced over the names. Her name was nowhere in sight.
"How unusual. You are clearly on the verge of death, and yet your name is not on the list. I shall have to look at your record at a later date. For now, there is no need to collect."
The girl couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Then could you remove your Scythe from in front of my face, please?"
He whipped it away without a word.
Sebastian remained tense throughout the whole of the exchange, although he was thankful he still had time to save her before her name did turn up on the list.
Spears moved back over to the fallen Reaper.
"Come along, Grell. We're leaving."
He picked up the man by his long red hair and proceeded to continue with his chastising.
"We're already shorthanded and here you are, having landed me with even more overtime. The Board is not going to be pleased."
Sebastian reached over to Grell's abandoned Death Scythe and tossed it at the two Reapers. William caught the blade between two of his fingers, completely unruffled by the attack. The demon gave a shit eating smile.
"I assume you want that, yes?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you." The Reaper responded, then let it slip through his fingers and the blunt end of it thud onto Grell's battered stomach. "Now, if you'll please excuse us."
The two of them then proceeded into the darkness of the alley and disappeared from sight.
Sebastian sighed and turned back to his mate and master.
"I'm sorry, My Lord," he apologised. "I allowed half of Jack the Ripper to escape."
Ciel stared down at Madame Red's dead body, his eyes sad as his hand stroked Marianne's head.
"It's alright…" he replied. "It's done."
Sebastian knelt down and gathered Marianne in his arms, who shuddered against him and whimpered at the pain in her back. Balancing her easily, he pressed the back of his hand against the boy's cheek.
"You're chilled to the bone, Master. Let's hurry back to the house now. I'll make some hot tea to warm you up." His tone then became serious. "And of course, we must make sure that Marianne lives, do we not?"
Ciel gasped, realising that throughout it all, he had almost forgotten about the extent of the girl's injuries.
"Yes. Do whatever you must to save her. I refuse to let her die. Not now…" he whispered.
He got to his feet, only to lurch forward. Sebastian tried to catch him, but he pushed the demon away, slapping the extended hand away with a look of anger of his face.
"But Master…" Sebastian whispered.
"No. Stay back. I can stand on my own. You need to hold onto Marianne and get her home. Understand?" Ciel ordered.
Marianne looked at the boy through blurred eyes.
"Ciel…" she murmured.
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm fine, just a little tired. Worry about yourself right now. Rest and let Sebastian heal you."
They arrived back at the townhouse without much trouble. Sebastian took Marianne up to one of the guest bedrooms and laid her on her front on the covers. He sliced through the shambles of her coat and shirt. Removing them slowly, he moved on to unwind her bindings, lifting her up onto her knees to stop any impediments that would prevent him from getting them off. Once he was done with that, Sebastian lowered her back down, making sure she retained some modesty.
"It hurts, Sebastian…" she whispered.
"Shhh… I know. I will make sure you are no longer in danger," he responded, brushing his gloved hand through her long hair.
The demon went on to assess the damage. There were seven deep stab wounds in her back, all in different places and spanned from her shoulder to the delicate curve of her hip. From what he could tell, there was some signs of clotting, but not nearly enough from what there should be if it was only superficial. And she was certainly healing faster than she should. His eyes landed on his mark on the right side of her back. It pulsed against the pallor of her skin. Sebastian removed his gloves with his teeth, exposing his black nails to the world and reaching over to trail them over the stab wounds and bring more blood to the surface. Marianne whimpered, stifled her cries with the pillow in her arms.
"Hush now, my dear. All will be well." Sebastian said.
He then asked a question he needed to ask. He would have preferred different circumstances, but he was left with very little choice. The exchange of blood between a demon and their mate was the start of fulfilling their bond, and Sebastian didn't want to force her into something she wasn't willing to give. He would be omitting that piece of information however until a later date. It would be better if he let her rest until he was finished.
"Marianne, I require your consent to perform what I need to do to save you. Do I have your consent?"
She opened her eyes and stared at him. His expression was one Marianne had never seen before; it was so serious, that her permission was vital to him. Her heart hammered in her chest, the intimacy of it all only made her want to agree to his words.
"I consent."
Sebastian bowed his head and smiled.
"Thank you, My Lady." He stroked her hair again. "Sleep now, Marianne. I vow that when you wake up, there will be no evidence of this painful night."
She was slipping into slumber already, but he gave her a little helping hand with his power. Her soft breaths slowed, and her eyes fluttered closed, allowing sleep's gentle embrace to cradle her while the demon bestowed his attentions on her supine body.
Just then, Ciel came through the door and sat down on a nearby chair.
"Well, what do you need to do?" he asked firmly.
Sebastian glared at him, making the boy start in surprise.
"I would advise you be quiet, my Lord. Marianne has only just fallen asleep, and it would not do well if she were to wake up."
Ciel pursed his lips, but nodded his head. His eye was caught by the mark on her back.
"Sebastian…! What is that?! What have you done?!" he snapped.
The demon glanced at him as he climbed onto the bed, straddled the unconscious Marianne, and held himself over her as he prepared to heal her wounds with his saliva. Demon saliva was known for its healing properties, at least for those more susceptible to its special influence, and who was more accepting of it than a demon's mate?
"What I am about to tell you, My Young Master, is something that demons keep secret. It is precious and private in our lives, and protects those who bear such marks.
"Every demon has a destined mate, who we will protect with our very lives. They hold our black hearts and treasure them for all eternity. To attempt to harm a demon's mate is a death sentence, and we will not hesitate to kill the threat. Their souls deserve to suffer in the pits of Hell until the end of time. Demons are possessive and ruthless when it comes to protecting what is theirs. We are known to fight to the death for our mates.
"While it is common that demons find their mates among their own kind, there are those rare few whose mate may be among the humans. Marianne is such an example. She bears my mark, which means she is my mate. I am sure you have noticed, Young Master, that I take great pleasure in killing those who have dared to harm Marianne.
"In other words, Master, you have never needed to order me to protect her. Before I discovered her mark, I was rather fond of her, and I didn't quite understand the compulsion to take care of her without need of your orders. But now, I will stop at nothing to ensure her well-being."
Ciel couldn't help but worry for Marianne. She was many things, and loved Sebastian despite him being a demon, but that didn't stop the fact that she was going to end up in Hell with him. Although what she said that night about wanting to go to Hell when she died eased some of his concerns.
"Very well. Do what you have to do," he said. "Are you going to tell her though? She doesn't seem to have any clue about it."
Sebastian shook his head.
"She does not, My Lord. And I would prefer to keep it that way for the time being. I want her to be with me of her own free will, not because she has no choice. Marianne deserves to be treated as a lady, so courting her favour and affections is what I must do."
He turned his attention back to Marianne. She was still sleeping peacefully. The demon leaned down and begun to lick the blood from her wounds, his saliva sealing them shut and making sure there weren't any scars from the ordeal. He then bit into the skin of his left wrist, lifted her head slightly and brought his blood to her mouth. Unconsciously, Marianne lapped at it like a small kitten; a moan slid through her parted lips, as though the taste brought a small bit of pleasure to her body.
"That's a good girl. Drink as much as you need. I'll make sure to stop when it's been enough," he whispered.
She nuzzled into the hand stroking her cheek.
"Sebastian…" she whispered.
Sebastian was surprised. It seemed she was calling to him in her sleep. Maybe he didn't have as much work to gain her favour after all…
Once Marianne was finished, he lowered her back down onto the bed, climbed off from on top of her, and tucked her neatly under the covers. Sebastian pressed his lips to the crown of her head and whispered into her ear.
"Until tomorrow, my mate."
He took Ciel from the room and left her to sleep.
At the manor, the white rose on Marianne's nightstand began to turn a deep blood red. The red seeped over the white slowly, consuming half of the colour until it looked half stained with blood.
Several days later, at a church that stood aglow in brilliant white amidst the dark and the grey of London, its bells chimed on the hour. It was a beautiful day, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Three children, two boys and a girl, were running outside the church's gates.
"Big brother!" the little girl cried.
The two younger children stopped and peered through the fence, watching the crowd of people climb out of their horse-drawn carriages, adorned in black.
"Hey, look!" the young boy said. "The church is really crowded today."
"I wonder why," said the girl.
"Don't know," shrugged the oldest boy.
"But you're older than us! Doesn't that mean you should know?" asked the younger boy.
"You're stupid!" the girl accused.
The boy, who was much closer to being a teenager than a child, looked affronted.
"I'm only twelve! It's not like I'm meant to know everything yet!" he snapped.
A voice then spoke up from behind them.
"You have a point there."
They turned around and saw the Undertaker leaned against the fence, a shovel at his side and looking almost at peace surrounded by the gloom that emanated from the building behind them.
"At twelve, it would be a shame that you do understand what's happening," he went on to say. "Let me explain it. Today is a special noblewoman's big day."
The boy backed away in fear, but his little sister was completely oblivious.
"What do you mean, Mister?" she asked.
Undertaker smirked.
"Well, you see, it's the most important celebration of any person's life; the funeral."
Inside the church, the many patrons were swathed like wraiths in their blackness. Elizabeth stood in front of Madame Red's coffin while the priest droned his parting prayers. The lady lay on a bed of white lilies and wore a loose white dress; a string of pearls was set around her pale neck while her short red hair splayed out in a bloody halo around her head.
"Goodbye, Auntie Ann…" Lizzy whispered, wiping tears from her green eyes.
The doors of the church flew open. Everyone turned around and saw Ciel standing in as a shadow against the light behind him, carrying what could only be a long red dress in his arms. Sebastian stood at the side in his black coat, his arm wrapped around the relaxed form of Marianne, whose long hair was tucked under a black baker's hat and her body bundled into a big black coat borrowed from the butler beside her. Ciel stepped into the building, his footsteps echoed on the stone floor; a red rose was pinned to the jacket of his black attire. The whispers around him were ignored.
"Is that the Phantomhive boy?"
"With a scarlet dress?"
"How inappropriate."
"Not so. Think of how she loved the colour red."
Sebastian watched from afar. He had no inclination to enter the holy building, even though it was within his power to do so. He simply held Marianne, who snuggled into his warmth and held a red rose between her trembling fingers…
Ciel leapt up onto the plinth that held the coffin up from the floor, and laid the red dress over his aunt. He sat beside her with a smile on his face, his hair slicked back from his face.
"White flowers and plain dresses didn't suit you in life and they don't now," he removed the rose from his outer coat and placed it in her red hair. "You belong in red. The colour of passion. The colour of spider lilies. Farewell, Aunt Ann…"
Ciel leant forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
On cue, Sebastian released the swirl of red rose petals from Marianne's flower and confines of Undertaker's hearse into the church, making them multiply and dance in the wind. Everyone gazed in awe at the splendour before them.
Somewhere in the distance, Marianne looked out and saw a young lady in frilled white walking among the red petals, twirling a white parasol between her hands. Her pale grey hair blew in the wind, and a tremor went through Marianne's body when she heard the song she was singing.
London Bridge is falling down
Falling down
Falling down
London Bridge is falling down
My fair lady
Sebastian pulled her closer when she felt her shiver. He had heard the singing as well, and wondered what about it could make her feel such fear.
Don't worry, my mate, I will protect you.
Her shivering ceased and she leaned against him, closing her eyes and letting herself slip into his cocoon of security.
London Bridge is falling down
Falling down
Falling down
London Bridge is falling down
My fair lady
"Rest peacefully." Ciel said. "Madame Red."
Madame Red's hair and body were clustered with red rose petals, mixed with the white lilies in a potent mixture of love and passion.
The servants waited outside the manor as the church bells rang out again. MeyRin sighed heavily, pushed her long bangs out of her face.
"Oh…" she groaned. "The funeral must be going on right now."
Finny, from his seat on the bannister of the stairway, nodded his head in agreement.
"Madame Red won't be coming to visit us anymore. It will be so quiet here…"
"Everyone," said Bard. "We need to get it together. A time like this is when the Master needs us the most."
The other two agreed, and Tanaka, sipping his tea, gave his usual response.
"Ho, ho, ho."
His form then shifted into his proper body.
"So you have left us, My Lady. You'll be with your loved ones again now," he smiled. "May you find peace."
In the alley where it all happened, the policemen of Scotland Yard were examining the crime scene. Aberline was kneeling on the ground, looking at strands of red hair caught in some cracked stone through his magnifying glass.
"Aberline, what are you still doing here?" Sir Randall asked. "The investigation is over."
"Are we sure?" Aberline retaliated. "How can we be certain? The circumstances are all so shadowy, I feel it is our duty to investigate further."
Randall shook his head.
"Our country has a long and rich history, and with it come a certain number of secrets. Secrets for which I would advise you to stay away," he said. "It has been decided, boy. This case is part of the Underworld, and it has been solved in the Underworld."
"Decided? By whom?"
"If you want know, get yourself promoted. I can guarantee you will regret finding out. Some rocks are better left unturned."
Randall turned his back on his subordinate and walked away.
"Trust me on this, Aberline," he called back over his shoulder.
Aberline could only glare at his retreating back, teeth gritted and eyes gleaming in determination.
A black cat watched from underneath a wooden cart.
Back at the church, Ciel, Sebastian and Marianne had been joined by Lau.
"You're not going to report the true identity of Jack the Ripper to the Queen?" the Asian man asked.
"I don't think it's necessary." Ciel responded. "She simply instructed me to stop the incidents. And now I have seen to that."
Marianne rested her hands on the boy's shoulders while he stared out the window, looking at Lau as he continued to speak.
"Your world is full of quicksand, and you let yourself keep sinking further and further in. But even if you reach the point of no return, and all looks lost, you'll still never call out for help. No, none of us will hear Lord Phantomhive's pathetic screams," he mocked. "The Queen's dog is too proud for that. Which makes you a formidable opponent. I'll have to be careful around you."
The boy sneered at him.
"Now that you mention it, opium dens are now becoming a problem," he retorted. "If you want to get out, now's the time."
"If I did that, I would have to think of another business to run, and that sounds like more trouble than it's worth."
Ciel put on his top hat and deadpanned.
"Well, you could always go back to your home country."
"Oh!" laughed Lau. "But I've not exhausted my interest in this country quite yet."
He leaned down to the young Earl's ear and whispered into it.
"Or for that matter, in you, My Lord."
He walked away not long after that.
"I fully expect more interesting challenges from you."
Ciel turned to his butlers, a sense of relief filled him as he looked at Marianne, hearty and whole again. Seeing her crumpled and covered in blood on the ground made him sick to his stomach, but part of him wondered if being the mate of a demon was any better. At least he could be assured that Sebastian would make sure she was well cared for, he was very good at that. Although when they would admit their feelings for one another was anyone's guess. Maybe he should lock them in one of the manor's broom cupboards to sort it out…
"We have somewhere to go. Come," he ordered, leading the way down the corridor.
They arrived at a small plot of land in the cemetery outside the church. The clean white gravestone of Mary Jane Kelly stared back at them. She had been only twenty-five-years-old when she died. Marianne held a bouquet of white lilies in her hand, along with a bouquet of white roses. Undertaker had joined them not long after their arrival and held a similar collection of lilies.
"This is her?" Sebastian asked.
"Yes," replied Undertaker. "Yes indeed it is. My last customer from Jack the Ripper."
Ciel, having taken off his hat, spoke up.
"Apparently she was an immigrant from Ireland. She had no family in the country to claim her body."
"So our kind Lord hired me to pretty her up. He even had this stone erected for her, a truly noble act on his part, eh?" Undertaker said as he stroked a long black nail down the boy's cheek.
"It's not noble at all." Ciel protested. "The honourable thing to do would have been to save her. And I could have, if I put her life first. But no, I had to catch them, apprehending Jack the Ripper was more important. I knew they intended to kill her… I knew, and I let her die… along with my aunt."
Undertaker merely smiled and crouched down to the boy's level.
"You regret what you did, My Lord?" he asked.
"No I don't!" the Earl vehemently refused. "Jack the Ripper is gone forever. And I have done exactly as her Majesty has asked of me."
Their conversation drifted towards the one responsible for their mission.
"Victoria, eh? Can't say I much like her." Undertaker shrugged. "She just sits back and watches while you do all the dirty work for her. Doesn't seem fair to me."
Ciel brushed his comments aside.
"That's what the Phantomhives do. It's our duty, passed through generations along with this ring."
He gestured to the blue jewel on his thumb.
"That ring reminds me of the collar a master puts on a dog. You are forever tied to the Queen by your leash of duty!" the man laughed.
"I chose this life!" Ciel snapped. "Stop!"
Undertaker grabbed the boy by the black tie around his neck.
"Lord Phantomhive, you should be weary of the path that duty takes you. Your collar may choke you yet!"
He released the tie with a smirk, causing Ciel to fall into Sebastian.
"And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"
Undertaker handed the boy the bouquet of white lilies.
"Do come by should you need my assistance again. You and those hilarious butlers of yours are always welcome."
He started to chuckle as he walked away.
Just then, another thought sprung to mind and he looked back at them.
"You know, it's been a while since I was hired to do such an intricate job. The last time must have been nearly two years ago. By you, my pretty little Butler if I remember rightly. Two people from a carriage accident not buried that far from here now, wasn't it?" he directed a look at Marianne. "You did pretty well, using up your every last penny to give them a proper burial, instead of letting them lay in an unmarked grave like your family planned. You chose to become a street rat and honour them instead of leaving them to rot and live well while you could. You certainly had a stroke of luck when you stumbled on the Lord and his butler now, didn't you? Go on and pay my respects to them before you go, they were some of my favourite customers after all."
The smile on his face as he walked away left them all silent.
As the sun was setting, the trio continued to stare down at Mary Jane's gravestone, the bouquets of white lilies resting on the bulging dirt that covered the coffin. Marianne fiddled with the red ribbon that tied her white roses together, biting her lip as she waited for them to begin asking their questions. She rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. Sebastian then spoke, draping his Master's coat over his shoulders, Ciel's top hat under his arm.
"It was noble."
Ciel looked back at him with a scowl.
"Don't make me repeat myself. What I did wasn't noble," he said.
"I thought it was." Sebastian smirked. "But if you think not… Then maybe, it was weakness."
The boy stared at him in shock. Marianne also wasn't unaffected.
"What?!" Ciel snapped.
"Tell me," continued Sebastian. "Why didn't you kill her? Your own aunt was threatening you, it seemed like she was going to take your life and Marianne's. Marianne may have been armed with her dagger, but after sustaining the wounds she had, there was little way she could defend both herself and you."
The demon's smirk widened.
"You could have stopped her. You could have defended yourself if you wanted to. But you wavered. Even then, you refused to draw your gun."
He looked to Marianne, whose eyes were wide in remembrance that Ciel had been armed that night.
"Indeed, my dear Marianne. The Young Master could have defended you both, you wouldn't have suffered those grievous wounds that would have caused your premature death."
Turning his eyes back to Ciel, he continued.
"Why, Master? Were you afraid of killing Madame Red? With your own hands? Would it have been easier for you if she were a stranger instead of someone who was your own flesh and blood?"
There was silence. Ciel was more than a little unnerved, but he remained stoic. His blue-eyed gaze was unwavering as he stared back at his demon of a butler.
"I held back because it was your job."
Those were the words he replied with. Sebastian looked back at him in surprise before the boy turned back to the gravestone.
"I knew that you would protect me, protect the both of us, even at the cost of your own life. That's why I didn't draw my gun on her. Our contract demands that you serve me, that you protect me with your very life until I achieve my goal. Until that time, I'll not worry about my safety. I imagine you demons know nothing about principles or loyalty. But you do know about deals. And so, because of the deal we have made, you'll protect me no matter the circumstance. Am I wrong?" Ciel said, not looking at the demon even once.
Both he and Sebastian knew that their conversation was a show for Marianne. The demon was pleased that his prey was keeping his word by keeping the girl's status in concern to her mark a secret. It was true in the sense that he didn't hold any loyalty to the people he contracted, but they had honour when it came to the deals they made. A demon's principles and loyalty were only for those deemed worthy of their affection and respect. For Marianne, Sebastian clearly had both.
Sebastian went on to continue.
"But of course, but then you stopped me from killing her as well."
Ciel shook his head.
"When she moved to kill me, there was hesitation in her eyes. I didn't think she would be able to do it. Not to me, or to Marianne when she stood wrapped around me like a mother would when she was protecting her child. She couldn't kill a kin, her sister's son. One wrong move and it could cost you your life. Just like chess. She hesitated, and lost sight of her next move. That's all there is to it."
He went and walked past the couple.
"That's why I don't hesitate."
Sebastian was stunned. He looked at the boy's retreating back over his shoulder. Marianne moved to his side and held his arm, her bouquet resting in the crook of the other. The smirk that spread across Sebastian's face slightly unnerved her.
"Now that's what I expected to hear," he said. "Always skilfully manipulate your pieces. That's how you survive. Use me, and Madame Red, and even Marianne should the need call for it. Any piece within your reach. Even as the bodies of the pawns pile up before your throne, because if the King falls, this game is over."
Ciel whispered, "I won't hesitate. I won't regret the moves I've made."
He looked back at Sebastian and Marianne.
"Sebastian, Marianne, you two, you two are the only ones who can never betray me! And you can never leave my side! That's an order!"
Sebastian gracefully bowed before him on one knee.
"Yes, My Young Lord."
Marianne bowed her head beside him.
"As you wish, Ciel."
I will be there anywhere you wish me to follow. Sebastian continued silently as he got back to his feet.
With Marianne holding the crook of his arm, her bouquet in hand, they followed the Young Master as he walked away.
Even if your throne crumbles, your brilliant crown rusts, have a mountain of bodies piled at your feet; I will stay beside you. We shall sit side by side atop your fallen pawns until the last bell tolls. I will be there, with my mate at my side. We shall be there until the very end.
That's the Jack the Ripper Arc finished, and so we will be moving into the next one, but first there's going to be an interlude chapter that's going to explain some of the missing gaps in Marianne's history. Her profile on my page will be updated when the chapter is released in two weeks' time.
I also wanted to use this chapter to get the ball rolling for building the bond between her and Sebastian, what with all the bloodshed, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Please read and review!
