Despite the Frost Fair going in full, festive swing, Sebastian was uneasy. He stood obediently behind his master while he and Detective Abberline questioned the Undertaker about the corpse discovered in the ice and the stolen Hope piece. However, he couldn't help but notice that, more than once, Undertaker's hidden gaze seemed to linger on the silent form of Lady Lilliana at the back of the group. Sebastian found himself growing irritated.
Finally, the Undertaker led the group to a large ice sculpture of the queen and pointed up, where they could see the dazzling blue of the Hope piece resting on the icy fingers.
"Collect it! Right now!" Abberline ordered two nearby policemen.
"What do you think you are doing?!" A gruff, angry voice demanded.
They turned to the side to find a group of sour-looking citizens. Sebastian's eyes focused on the fourth member of the group, the Viscount Druitt. He moved protectively toward his cringing master while the blonde man told their party that the ice sculpture was a prize for the winner of the contest that was set to begin shortly. Detective Abberline and the head judge argued over the sculpture for a moment before the Viscount looked up and leveled a seductive gaze where Sebastian had just been standing. Curious, Sebastian glanced out of the corner of his eye to see what had caught the Viscount's attention.
Lady Lilliana, in her sapphire blue dress and warm black cloak, stood at an odd distance from the rest of the group. She is what had captured the Viscount's attention. With her pale skin and long black curls, she held a stunning beauty amongst the snow.
"If you insist on having the sculpture," started the Viscount, "Offer something of suitable beauty." His words dripped with desire, eyes never leaving the pale girl.
Sebastian saw red. His hands clenched and he fought down the snarl that rumbled in his chest. Before he could look away, he saw the apprehension on Lady Lilliana's face as she immediately looked to him and leaned her body in his direction, her hand even rising slightly as if to reach for him. Suddenly, Sebastian understood why she was standing oddly apart from the rest of the group–she had been standing directly behind him, much closer than most humans felt comfortable with. Now, she sought his protection from this repulsive monster.
"Sebastian, calm yourself!" The young earl hissed. Sebastian's attention immediately snapped back to his master and he forced himself to bow, reining in his demonic energy. Silently, he fumed. His master's order was preventing him from acting upon the urge to go to his mate. A mate he hadn't even fully accepted yet. Frowning, he returned his narrowed gaze to the blonde man in front of him, who had a rather sad look on his face now as Abberline berated him for inappropriate behavior and threatened him with another human trafficking charge. As if he would make it to your prison, Sebastian internally growled.
"He's quite right!" Shouted the head judge suddenly. "If you want this sculpture, win it in the contest!"
"I like the simplicity of it," Ciel stated. Sebastian half-listened to his master's conversation with the detective, but fully heard his exchange with the Undertaker. Shattered and reborn? Quite right, my young master. You are truly a worthy soul. His thoughts had him smiling. The solitary blue eye settled its hard gaze on him then.
"Win the contest, Sebastian."
"Yes, my Lord."
[time skip]
When the clock tower chimed 3:00, the announcer called for the contestants to cease activity for judging. Detective Abberline and two policemen were gathered around their entry, as were Lau and his woman, leaving Ciel and Lady Lilliana next to Sebastian. Sebastian noticed, again, how pale she looked. He narrowed his eyes slightly. She was too pale, he realized, and there were faint purple rings under her eyes, which lacked their usual sparkle. A tinge of concern wormed into his stomach, but his master drew his attention away before he could dwell further on it.
"You can win, can't you, Sebastian?"
He almost smirked. "Of course, my Lord. You have ordered me to win, I will not fail."
His sculpture was announced and revealed then, earning many gasps of awe from the crowd. Now he smirked.
"One moment please," he interrupted the announcer. "You haven't seen all of it."
With a snap, the arc split in two and revealed sculpted animals. The crowd was awestruck once again and even his young master smiled in amazement, though what stole his attention was Lady Lilliana's reaction. Her face lit up in a breathtaking smile and she laughed in delight, the sound like music to his ears. Sebastian wanted to hear it again.
"Well done, young man! I mark you as a skilled ice sculptor!" The head judge cried.
Smug, Sebastian turned to him. "No, sir. I am merely one hell of a butler."
Before he could be declared winner of the prize sculpture, a group of Irish thugs stole the moment. His eyebrow twitched. How impolite, he thought.
"Sorry, but this ring belongs to us! We're taking it back!" The thug shouted.
Detective Abberline then got involved and it became apparent from their impressive stash of dynamite sticks that these thugs were not going to back down. Citizens began to run off the ice, chaos descending in a matter of seconds while the thug began to count down.
"Young master," he questioned.
"Nine!"
Ciel did not move from his spot. "My orders remain the same. Do it, Sebastian."
"Yes, my Lord." He grinned in anticipation.
"Eight!"
"What are you two waiting for?! Ciel, you and Lady Lilliana need to get out of here!" Abberline suddenly shouted.
"Seven!"
Sebastian's head whipped around and his eyes widened when he realized Lady Lilliana still stood with his master. Again, his instincts screamed to protect her from this danger.
"Lady Lilliana," Ciel addressed her, "Go with the detective."
"Nice try," she scoffed. "I stay with you or you come with me."
"Six!"
Sebastian glared at the man counting, irritation overflowing.
"Well then, this should make for an interesting show." Ciel's voice held a note of amusement.
"Five!"
"Ciel?" Lady Lilliana's voice was low and held an unspoken question. The young lord scowled and shook his head. Sebastian released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and silently thanked his master for forbidding his mate from using her magick in the public eye.
"Four!"
Detective Abberline began to run in the direction of his master and Lady Lilliana. A gunshot stopped him in his tracks. The gang leader had fired a warning shot at the detective's feet.
"Only three left. You sure you don't want to run, little ones?"
A smirk lifted the corner of Ciel's mouth. "There's no need."
Ah, there's my cue, he thought. In the next moment, Sebastian had manifested a pair of ice skates and gracefully executed a flying jump to kick the gun out of the man's hand. Landing perfectly, he continued to skate across the ice completely unbothered by the gunfire aimed in his direction. A quadruple spin jump and many spectator praises later, Sebastian had taken out the lower gang members.
Now standing alone, the gang leader cursed and reached into his jacket to remove a stick of dynamite. Yelling his frustrations, he hurled the lit explosive toward the two young figures still standing on the ice. A look of horror briefly flashed across their faces before a black blur interrupted their vision.
Sebastian lifted Ciel above his body with one hand and grabbed Lilliana's hand with his other, swiftly skating away from the explosion behind them that shook the ice. Since she was not wearing skates, Sebastian was holding Lilliana up by her arm and more-or-less dragging her along with him. Pain shot through her shoulder and arm, making her gasp.
Another curse, another stick of dynamite. Sebastian was distracted by the phantom pain he felt in his arm and had to swerve broadly to avoid the explosion. Almost without thinking, he lightened his load to better protect his young master from the danger, using his next swerve to slingshot Lilliana across the ice.
Another explosion nearly masked the lady's pained cry, but Sebastian's senses honed in on it. His head whipped around and he spotted her curled up on the ground, a growing crowd surrounding her. His feet turned in her direction, only to be redirected by another stick of dynamite. Ciel's startled gasp from above him redirected his attention to the matter at hand, though he still found himself distracted and trying to catch a glimpse of his mate.
Finally, the crowd shifted just enough that they made eye contact. Sebastian frantically assessed her as best he could given the distance between them. Her eyes focused briefly on Ciel and then widened as he had to swerve to dodge another explosion. Sebastian watched her eyes as first relief, then concern, then sadness flitted through them before suddenly she became expressionless. A small smile graced her lips, though her eyes still looked empty.
"I understand my place now."
Sebastian's eyes widened and his heart raced as her voice whispered through his mind. Confusion laced with dread began to grip his heart. Dodging another explosion, Sebastian felt the ice under them weaken.
"Sebastian!"
Ignoring the panic in his master's voice, Sebastian finally lowered him from the pose and grabbed both his hands. In another graceful movement, Sebastian spun them around and threw the young boy into the air with a devilish smirk. The ice disintegrated under his feet as he leapt to catch his master on his very own ice sculpture.
"Your methods were very violent," Ciel sulked.
"I apologize, my Lord. When baggage drags one down, it's best to toss it."
"Is that an insult to myself or to Lady Lilliana?" Ciel demanded.
Sebastian's eyes narrowed and snapped to the place he had last seen his mate. Reddish-brown eyes widened. The crowd had dispersed and there was no sign of Lady Lilliana.
"I understand." Her voice echoed in his head.
Ciel missed the emotion flashing in his butler's eyes as he spoke about the Hope piece that now sank to the bottom of the river.
"Sebastian, you said Noah was arrogant, but don't you think it's more arrogant and foolish to think you can save everyone? To want to do that?"
"So it would seem," he answered.
"But an idiot of that sort every now and then might not be so bad." Ciel paused, thoughtfully. "No matter. Where is Lady Lilliana?"