The Shadow in the Courtyard
Alois stomped around the courtyard, as the triplets watched him pace back and forth. "I don't understand! What do I have to do to get her to enjoy me? Poetry? What did Ciel do?"
He stopped and brought his finger to his bottom lip, deep in thought, I danced with her and acted pleasant, what more does she want? Does she not like roses or something? Maybe I should have offered her a white rose...
A shadowy figure stood before Alois, but when he looked up nothing was there. A look of fear crossed Alois' face, "Claude!" He ran towards his manor, "Claude!"
The triplets exchanged glances of confusion, one even wiggled his finger near his ear, clearly thinking Alois had gone mad, again. After that, they continued to clip the bushes that grew too much, after the storm, last night.
Claude stood before Alois, holding out a hand to keep him from running into him. "What is it, your highness?"
"I saw a figure. Well, I thought I saw a figure! It was dark and shadowy... But, when I looked up, it was gone!"
"Hm... I guess I'll go have a look around the estate, myself... In the meantime, why don't you try to clear things up with the Middlefords."
Alois looked up at him and nodded with a blank look on his face, as he walked back to the dining room.
Claude, however, walked over to the courtyard and started his search from there. He walked over to the triplets who have clearly been out there for a while and when he asked about the figure, they had no idea what he was talking about, saying how they thought Alois was going crazy. He just nodded, clearly not believing them one bit.
He walked around some more, when he realized he hadn't checked any of the trees around the estate. He walked back to the courtyard and looked up and there it was. He whispered something -a guess of what it might be, since it looked so familiar, which wasn't what it was at all, "Sebastian?"
The thing looked down at him with the bright red eyes of a new demon, "Wrong!" Ciel flung himself down from the tree, almost tripping when he landed, "Now get your Master away from my fiancé!"
Claude smirked at Ciel, "Last time I checked you died and were in no position to marry her."
"Well, I'm back, so-"
"I am not going to listen to you, young demon! I serve one person only and that is Alois Trancy, not a lousy Demon that's still in training."
"Well then, this lousy demon in training is going to trash your party!"
Ciel darted out of the way and was in the manor faster than you could blink. Claude's eyes widened as he began to go after him, "Ciel!"
Ciel flew in front Alois, and almost knocked his teacup, which made from very fine, expensive china, out of his hand. "Ciel! I thought-"
"Hannah killed me? Hah! She merely turned me into a demon!"
Alois' eyes widened and Lizzy just sat there, on the couch between her mother and her brother, unsure of what to say or do. Alois calmly closed his eyes, trying not to think of how stupid his maid was to have done that, "Well, Ciel what are you going to do, because your fiancé is now mine..."
Ciel looked at him with competitiveness and anger, "I want her back and I'm going to get her back."
Alois scoffed, "Oh yeah, how? Another duel... because I'm perfectly fine with that. I've gotten much better."
"Better or worse?"
Alois' streak of self-love washed away, as Ciel only put him down. He wasn't exactly sure, since he's only fenced Claude and was never sure if he was going easy on him or not, "You know what? We fight at dawn!"
"Why? So you can practice some more, with that stupid butler of yours?"
"Claude is not stupid! Claude!"
The butler, whose wares were nothing but polished solid gold came over. "Yes, your highness?"
"Take Ciel and the Middlefords out of here. Now!"
Claude bowed and led the group outside and Ciel made no attempt to struggle, but he did manage to pretend to accidentally step on Claude's foot. He didn't even wince. Hmph. Seems like he's gotten stronger, as well as that stupid Alois Trancy punk... Now I'm really looking forward to the fight...
The smallest grin Ciel could muster, appeared on his face, but disappeared momentarily, not that anyone cared to notice.
Lady Middleford was too involved in her conversation with her daughter, as she noted her fine-washed gloves. "Elizabeth, It is rare to see you wearing your gloves and yet this is the second day in a row that you have had them on. Normally you put up a fuss about them."
Lizzy stared down at her hands, mind scrambling for something to say. After all, she couldn't tell her mother that it was to hide the mark of her contract with Ciel.
"You are always telling me to be more 'proper' so I thought I might start trying, by wearing them."
Frances nodded, accepting the answer, before turning her attention back to the return journey to the Trancy mansion.