Chapter 3

Alois stared at the doll in fascination as it watched them with its discolored blue eyes. Ceil, standing against the wall in the circle of his arms, was watching it as well, but Alois had the sneaking suspicion he was more worried about the hole in the ceiling and the mess surrounding the doll than the strange thing itself.

"Alois," Ceil said, sounding serious and pushing in front of him to confront the doll. It was small with white skin and a mix of blond and dark blue hair on top of its head. It's marine blue eye and its pale blue eye focused on Ceil as he moved, and Alois stiffened when it began to open its mouth.

It had small rows of human teeth.

"Keep behind me while I call Sebastian, "began Ceil, and reached for his eyepatch over his right eye. Alois, however, couldn't contain the excitement bubbling inside him any longer. "Ceil!" he shrieked. "It's so cute!"

Ceil whipped his head around to stare at him, disgust and surprise on his face. "What!?"

Ignoring his look, Alois clapped his hands together and gazed at the smiling creepy doll. "It looks just like us-like our very own baby!"

The look Ceil gave him was one of extreme hatred, but before he could say anything, Sebastian and Claude burst in, both men exclaiming as one: "Young master! Are you alright?!"

Alois turned with Ceil to see them, both of the black clad butlers looking uneasy, which was unusual in itself, but what caught Alois's eye-and he suspected Ceil's too- was the brown-colored girl in Sebastian's arm. She was wild-haired and still in her white ball gown, her quartz-gray eyes on them with indifference.

"What is the meaning of this!?" demanded Ceil, his haughty demeanor showing as he swept his arm over the debris and the doll standing silently in its middle. "Alina-explain yourself." He pinpointed on her.

Everyone looked at Alina in Sebastian's arm, and, dangling there like a sack and looking bored, she just shrugged. "Sometimes my creations like to go haywire, you already know that, Ceil."

Ceil looked like he was about to smite someone, but his butler spoke up before he could. "Young master, it was my fault she got out of control. I believe the capsules I'd given her were the cause. Her maid did warn us about using them more than once a day."

"But she hadn't taken any today. Did you see what she did to Alois earlier?"

Alois startled when eyes turned on him, and the girl winked at him. Alois blushed and looked away.

"I only knocked him down because I was excited. Anastasia made sure I took my pills, do not worry," Alina said in a monotone voice without looking at Ceil. "By the way," she said, twisting in Sebastian's arm to look up at him. "Where is my maid?"

"She left a bit early," Said Claude, pushing up his spectacles. Alois started at his voice, and looked at him. He was ashamed to think he'd forgotten all about him.

"I saw her leave with the other guests. I suppose she was in a hurry to run some errands?"

Allina looked a little ill. "Put me down," she commanded. Distantly Alois thought she spent a little too much time with Ceil. Sebastian did as she asked, and she turned to the two men. "My maid has gone back home to call my parents. Whenever I seem to be in danger to her she would make sure to contact them."

"So she leaves you behind?" said Alois, oddly agaited at the thought. Alina turned her gray eyes on him, her black hair moving off one shoulder in a provocative way. Alois knew his face was flushed, but he wondered why Ceil suddenly looked annoyed, not that that was anything new.

"She leaves me with Ceil and his butler. It's a history thing we have." She told him.

"Fine," snapped Ceil, gaining everyone's attention. "But what about my dining room? It's ruined because of your stupid super powered dolls. And why does it look like both me and Alois?" he demanded angrily.

Alina looked at the mess for the first time, the gaping black hole in the ceiling where one could see the second story hallway, and the doll that dropped down from it, still standing and watching them. It was like a small soldier waiting for orders. A creepy small smiling soldier waiting for orders.

"I saw you and him before I fainted, my mind warped you together, and there's the finished product," She looked at him with the annoyance Alois had seen in her before he'd come into their midst. "Don't worry, I won't let it eat up your precious mansion."

A sound of someone clearing his throat pulled their attention to Sebastian, and he smiled pleasantly at them. Claude looked on with barely contained annoyance on his face. The two must have been talking with one another.

"Young master, If I may ask, what would you say if you three went out for a bite to eat?"

Alois blinked at him, Alina stared, and Ceil bit back something rude he was going to say, saying instead, "And what, pray tell, does that have to do with our situation right now?"

"Allowing your butler and I to clean up, of course." responded Claude. Alois was a bit impressed with his calm tone. If he were in his shoes he'd probably have hit Ceil or something. Alois put a hand on his hip, smirking. "Yes, Ceil, why not go out and eat? It would give us time to get to know each other better." He said, glancing at Alina, who had her back turned to them and crouched over her doll.

Ceil looked to the ceiling, looking exasperated. "Both of our butlers are plenty capable of cleaning up with all three of us in here. Why are you pushing us away?" he added, glancing toward them.

Sebastian and Claude looked at him smoothly, unflinching in the heat of the young lord's gaze.

Alois had to agree with Ceil there, however. He couldn't say he wasn't the least bit suspicious of what Sebastian and Claude were planning. He gave them a look, waiting for their answer too.

But, who answered was Alina.

"I think it's a good idea." She said, turning to look at them. Alois saw that she held her soldier doll in her arms, and it was hanging there limply, like a doll should. Though, Alois still didn't trust it.

"I want to get to know more about you most of all," she added, startling Alois in looking up into her gray eyes. She was smiling a big smile, and for some reason it warmed his soul. She took a step toward him, and he stepped back. "ah…" he began, at a loss for words. But, Ceil saved him from having to say anything-and moving again- by standing in Alina's way.

Alina looked at him with spite. "We are not going to eat anywhere." He growled. His face was red as well. "You're going to help the butlers clean this mess you made."

Alina looked angry at that, and she gritted her teeth. "You're no boss of mine, Ceil. I can do whatever I want, and I'll go and eat with Alois!"

Alois felt like a roach when Ceil turned his seething gaze on him, wondering if he was about to be crushed.

"You need to get out of here, anyway." He snarled. "Go have your own balls or whatnot.
I hadn't even invited you here in the first place."

Alois bristled. He knew that, and he was still trying to ignore the fact that Ceil had intentionally left him in the dark about his events. He didn't need to remind him of that.

"I'm going." He said angrily. "With Alina. Whatever you do is your business."

He took Alina by the arm, and she snaked it through his, smiling. They both started for the doorway, and both butlers stepped back to let them through. They looked back at Ceil, waiting.

Alois really didn't want to leave him there alone, and he guessed so did Alina, since she had stopped at the same moment he did.

"Ceil?" she asked, before he could get a word out. Ceil stood there, his expression unreadable, but at her voice, he looked a bit more softly at them. "What?"

"Come with us?" Alois said. "We could all be friends you know."

Ceil gave him a doubtful look, his marine blue eye glaring, but finally, he relented.

"I suppose I could come for a little whi-" Alois and Alina squealed, and grabbed Ceil's hands, pulling him out the door. "Hey-!" he cried, but Alois and Alina were too busy laughing and dragging him to the doors outside.

"Let's get ice-cream!" shouted Alina.

"Let's get Ceil a new eyepatch," Alois said slyly, making to snatch at it. Ceil ducked under his reach, scowling. "Back off, Alois, like I said, I'm only coming for-"

"Aw, be quiet, Ceil," Laughed Alina. They made it outside, and the sun beamed down on their faces, on Alina's most of all. She was smiling and her gray eyes were twinkling, her creepy doll in one hand, and her other arm around Alois's. "Let's just enjoy being outside for once!"

Alois saw it when Ceil finally stopped being so cold, he fell into step beside them, an actual smile, although small, on his face, and Alois thought that maybe, just maybe, this girl could do what he couldn't do since the year he first met Ceil.

Maybe she could make them both happy, and have them all become something like family.