His Butler, Act One: Interference
Sesshy's Mistress
Summary: She returned to make things right, but in doing so, she lost a part of herself to the darkness. With a heavy heart and even heavier burden, she reclaims her title as the Keeper of the Balance and returns to Earth.
Note: Wow, it has been a while for this story so I felt that I should update it, especially considering that it has inspired someone to create their own trilogy based off of my little world, haha!
Check out (Un)Welcome Interruption by EternalMoonPrincess.
It was a pretty good read and she has since published a sequel.
…
...
"Investigate this Serenity Amaris and find out where she came from…" The order continued to hum through his mind as a constant reminder of his failure. Sebastian's teeth began to grind together as he shuffled through more papers only to find nothing of importance. Murky brown eyes began to glow a demonic red in frustration.
It had been two months since his Master's birthday festivities and it had not gone unnoticed by said Master the strange woman's behavior and mannerisms during the visit. Much had been discussed following the departure of the three women, and it had resulted in Sebastian's new mission to find any and all information pertaining to the elusive blonde.
So far he had succeeded in finding nothing not made public knowledge and all of that information was in regards to the family business. Running a hand through his hair in a rare sign of frustration, Sebastian tossed the useless piece of paper to the floor. It fluttered to gather with many others that now littered the floor in a sea of white that hid almost all of the navy blue carpeting of the office Sebastian was currently occupying.
It would seem that any particular information on Serenity Amaris in regards to her background was nonexistent. That in and of itself stirred his curiosity even more and only served to flame his frustrations with his current situation. How would he present his failure to his Master?
"Tsk, tsk," A new voice spoke in mock surprise, and Sebastian cocked his head to look over his shoulder at the new addition to the room. Standing in the doorway with his signature grin stretched across his face was the Undertaker. The frustration once felt now melted away and was replaced with honest surprise. It was quite unusual to find The Undertaker away from his position.
"To what do I owe the honor?" Sebastian questioned while turning to face the man that was considered a valuable resource to his Master.
"A little birdie told me you were in search of some information in regards to a certain someone," The Undertaker spoke with barely constrained mirth as he bent to pick up the papers at his feet.
"Oh?" Sebastian arched a single brow and gave The Undertaker a look that spoke his uncertainty.
"Mhmm," the other man nodded enthusiastically. "You see, I happen to know quite a bit about your Master's new interest." The Undertaker continued to walk and retrieve papers until he reached Sebastian's side and forced them into the butler's lax grip. "An enigma that one is, wouldn't you agree?"
"Among other things," Sebastian commented while tossing the papers onto the desk at his side. They scattered once more and his companion pouted to see his hard work tossed away so carelessly.
"It was so sad but quite the coincidence, honestly," The Undertaker pulled from one sleeve an old folder and presented it to Sebastian. With a quick flick of his wrist, the contents of the folder were opened before his hungry eyes which widened ever so slightly in surprise. Opening his coat, Sebastian slid the folder inside to protect it from the torrent outside.
"My Master will be most thankful for your assistance in gathering this information," He gave a nod in The Undertaker's direction and turned towards the window for his exit, but stopped just short as the silver haired man had more to say.
"Just fair warning," no humor laced his tone now. "Your Master may not like what he finds…" This unusual serious tone had Sebastian turning to give the other man his full attention only to find The Undertaker gone already. Red eyes narrowed in suspicion as Sebastian's mind replayed the events of this night over and over ensuring every detail was permanently engraved in his memory for later contemplation. As thunder rolled and lightning lit the sky, Sebastian quickly slid out of the room and returned to the manor with his valuable new information tucked protectively to his side.
…
"Well?" Ciel demanded of Sebastian who stood with a folder held open in his hands. "What does it say?"
"Serenity Amaris was orphaned at the age of 13 when her parents disappeared on a business venture to an unspecified location in Japan," He stopped to retrieve a piece of paper and present it to his Master. It was a photo of the Amaris family taken around the time of the couple's disappearance. Ciel took the photo and examined it closely and noticed how similar Serenity looked to Elizabeth at such an age. No wonder the two were so close and Serenity so protective of the younger girl.
"I fail to see the importance of such information," Ciel set the picture aside before linking his fingers together and propping his chin atop his hands. "Have you failed to follow through on a direct order, Sebastian?" A smirk tugged at the corner of Ciel's lips. It had become something of a game to him to try and find some weakness in his demon.
"Patience, my Lord," Sebastian grinned as he turned the file around and laid it upon the desk for his Master to gaze at fully. Spread across both sides of the folder were detailed pictures and newspaper reports of the recent findings of the Amaris couple six months prior. "Interestingly enough, in the eleven years of their disappearance, no one had seen or heard from either until their remains were fished out of the Thames River this past year."
"They look…."
"Fresh?" Sebastian finished for his Master while waving a hand over two pictures in particular that were of the decapitated heads. Ciel retrieved the photos for closer examination and noted the charred marks on their brows which seemed to hold some sort of unknown script that was singed into the skin. Unfortunately, the flesh of the deceased was swollen with water and the etchings were deformed.
"Where are the remains now?" Ciel demanded to know. Perhaps Sebastian could examine them more closely for clues that would otherwise go unnoticed by normal police.
"Not specified, but upon further investigation," a malicious glint flared to life in Sebastian's eyes as he recalled questioning a few of the officers in charge of guarding the physical evidence during transport. "When exposed to the direct sunlight, the remains dried out and turned to ash, leaving not even their bones behind."
"You cannot be serious," Ciel rolled his eyes. "Do you mean to suggest they were vampires?"
"Not quite," Sebastian spoke as he took back the folder and fished around for a particular paper. "Very little evidence was collected from the remains, but distinctive markings found on the deceased were catalogued prior to their destruction." As Sebastian presented the hand drawn images to Ciel, he also used his mouth to help remove one of his gloves, exposing the mark that rested on his hand as a symbol of their contract.
The similarities were enough to cause Ciel to gasp.
…
"Ciel!" Elizabeth all but squealed in delight when she learned that her beloved had arrived at her home to call upon her. In the blink of an eye, she had risen from her chair and made haste to leave the room, dropping everything she had been in the middle of in the process.
"Oi," the tutor sighed from her position next to the stack of fallen books that had once stood atop the young girl's head during a proper posture activity. "That child!"
Ciel had barely enough time to surrender his hat and jacket to Sebastian for proper placement during their stay before he was tackled into a traditional Lizzy hug. Every ounce of oxygen was squeezed from his body as she seemingly tried to merge them into one person with her hug. It wasn't until his face was turning blue that Sebastian intervened by placing a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder to draw her attention to Ciel's predicament.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ciel," Elizabeth immediately released him and felt the sting of tears at the corner of her eyes upon realizing the condition of her fiancé. "Oh, what would Serenity say if she knew how I just behaved?"
At hearing that name, both Sebastian and Ciel shared a look before directing their attention back to Elizabeth. "I'm fine, Lizzy." Ciel assured her with a charming smile which seemed to ease her worries. "But now that you mention it, where is your cousin?"
"Serenity?" Elizabeth blinked a few times in surprise at the sudden interest Ciel was taking in Serenity. "She is currently attending to some business but should return later. In fact, Mother and Father left for similar reasons too. I'm the only one home at the moment, and that is due to the fact that I am behind in my lessons." She had enough decency to blush, especially upon realizing that she had once again abandoned her tutor.
"If we are interrupting your studies, I am certain that we can return at a more appropriate time," Sebastian suggested while offering Ciel his hat and jacket back, but Elizabeth would hear nothing of it. This was, after all, the perfect opportunity to show her parents and Serenity how she could be a good hostess!
"Nonsense!" She smiled and called for the servants. "You spent much of the day already traveling here. At least join me for lunch?"
"The young Master did miss breakfast due to his haste in coming to visit you, Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian volunteered the information, causing Ciel to nearly choke on thin air and blush in embarrassment at the bold faced lie. Yet, it served to flatter Elizabeth and gain them entrance to the manor. Perhaps this would offer them the chance to discuss further the subject of Serenity. After all, there was little Elizabeth wouldn't do for her beloved.
…
Serenity continued to listen half-heartedly to the lady before her as she wrote notes on the specific "requirements" of the new design being commissioned. In all honesty, this was the part of the business that Serenity hated the most. If it was up to her, she would simply create what she wanted and if no one liked it, well they didn't have to buy it, now did they? In fact, considering the major project she had on the side, these smaller projects were utterly useless. Still, she needed to maintain face in the community and keep the company name rotating and growing!
"How long will it take?" Madame Houche demanded to know when Serenity failed to provide much feedback to her design ideas.
"Depends on how long it will take me to gather the materials, Madame," Serenity answered flawlessly as she sat up a little straighter. "Unlike most other companies, when designing a new product, I prefer to hand pick my materials so that I can ensure their utmost quality before beginning the design process itself." She smiled and presented to the rather heavy set woman a crude sketch.
"Now, this is a very basic sketch, mind you. I will, of course, make several more detailed sketches offering a varied amount of options for you to choose from and, upon payment, I will begin to gather the raw materials." The beady eyes of the woman scrutinized the paper for a good five minutes before her nostrils flared slightly.
"Very well," her tone was one of someone who held disbelief in the other before them, and Serenity felt her eye begin to twitch. "I will trust your judgement in such matters as you came highly recommended by many of my colleagues. Just be warned, I am a very picky woman!"
"I have no doubts about that," Serenity spoke under her breath so low that the woman was unable to distinguish the words from that of a heavy sigh.
"If you find meeting my needs too much of a challenge, however, I'm sure I can find someone else," The smirk that graced the woman's lips was challenging and a spark flared to life in Serenity's eyes at such disrespect.
"I assure you, Madame," Blue eyes began to lighten and soften with a hint of silver around the irises. "You will find no other whose quality and precision is better than mine or one who places more care in their craft! However, if you find yourself unable to control your materialistic need to flaunt your wealth before the next gathering of your fellow ladies of wealth, feel free to shop elsewhere because I will not sacrifice quality and perfection to meet an unrealistic deadline."
The woman seated across from her looked both appalled and astonished all in one with wide eyes and jaw slack. This look was temporary, however, as her eyes narrowed to glare in righteous fury at the attack to her character. "How dare you!"
"I will be honest with you," Serenity began to rub her temples. "I am not wanting for anything. As a matter of fact, business is continuing to grow and, as such, to lose one customer in exchange for maintaining my dignity is a fair exchange. You have showed me no respect since the start of this meeting, and I am growing quite tired of playing nice. Now, make your decision. Show me and my craft the respect it deserves, or shop elsewhere!"
Madame Houche failed to respond at first, managing only to open and shut her mouth a few times. Having grown impatient, Serenity stood, gathered her things, and made her way towards the door. Before she could leave, however, the Madame cleared her throat and requested her continued presence. Serenity let out a soft sigh before turning and retracing her steps back to her previous location. Even with an apology, Serenity was nearly done with this session for the day.
…
"Lizzy," Ciel spoke as he sat reclined next to his fiancé after placing down his tea cup. When her green eyes were focused on him, Ciel cleared his throat and prepared to venture towards the subject that had brought him and Sebastian calling. "Tell me more about Serenity."
Elizabeth's brow knit in confusion as she observed Ciel. It was strange that he was so suddenly interested in her cousin but this was to one day be her husband. Maybe he was only inquiring more about his family? After all, Serenity was technically his family, too. "Where should I start?" She tried to smile but found it was harder to do than normal. Small hands smoothed over her skirt, attempting to smooth out nonexistent wrinkles.
"The beginning is usually the best," Sebastian humored her while pouring more tea into the two children's cups.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond but found herself lacking what to say. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth responded, "She's everything."
"Everything?" Ciel echoed in question. His head was tilted to the side as he observed her face which was now turned towards her lap.
"Everything I hope to one day become," Elizabeth continued and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. Ciel and Sebastian shared a look as Elizabeth suddenly became quite serious, a rare event for them to witness. "She is so beautiful and graceful," Her head rose to look at a family painting hanging on one of the walls. "Elegant in all things that she does."
"It sounds as if you truly admire her, Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian spoke trying to bring her back from her thoughts so that they could inquire more specifically.
"I do," She turned to smile at Ciel and Sebastian. "She is intelligent and quick on her feet. Serenity was far more advanced in her studies at my age than most, and her skills in fighting matched that of the most advanced swordsman in England."
"She sounds very talented," Ciel stated while placing a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. This seemed to catch her attention and bring her back. "I can't help but notice how much of an influence she has over you and within your home." He nodded in the direction of the painting that Elizabeth had been gazing upon earlier.
"Neither Serenity or Mother speak much about it," Elizabeth breathed softly. "But Serenity's reason for staying with us was due to the death of her parents. She lived alone after their death for some time, but Mother managed to convince her to live here shortly after I was born. At least, that is what I have been told."
"How did they die?" Ciel questioned gently.
"I never thought to ask as it seemed to upset Serenity so when someone mentions their passing," Elizabeth's eyes misted over as she recalled how sad Serenity would become each year around the anniversary of her parent's death. "Once, when I was younger, I asked her about it….It is the only time I have ever seen her cry."
"If anyone could understand how she feels, I'm sure it would be my Master," Sebastian spoke up as he saw the opportunity arise.
"No," Elizabeth stated firmly, shocking the two as her green eyes turned hard. "I don't want to see her sad. Don't ever mention this to her, Ciel! It gets harder every time to make her smile again when someone does." Elizabeth reached out and grabbed Ciel's hand, squeezing it tightly in her smaller one. "Promise me that you won't mention this to her!"
Emerald green and sapphire blue locked together for several seconds before Ciel slowly nodded his head.
"Thank you," Elizabeth's form seemed to relax as she let out a small breath. Before either could say a word, Sebastian pulled a pocket watch from his coat pocket and announced that lunch was ready.
…
As the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the mansion, Serenity let out a relieved sigh. It had been such a long day and she was beyond exhausted from dealing with Madame Houche. On her lap set the drawings she had already started to work on, but would need to continue to develop. Serenity nibbled on her lower lip as she lost herself in the design process while her body moved automatically to glide out of the carriage and up the front steps.
She would definitely have to travel and collect more materials for such an order, and that thought was tiresome, too. How she longed to lay down for a few minutes, but knowing Elizabeth, Serenity's company would be wanted prior to another leave of absence. The thought put a smile on her face but a nap was necessary.
"Please inform Elizabeth that I will meet her after her lessons have concluded," Serenity mumbled to the servant who had opened the door. "My appointment today has left me exhausted and I am going to rest for a few minutes."
"Lady Elizabeth ended her lessons early today," the servant spoke while taking Serenity's coat.
"Oh really?" Serenity perked up at that thought. Maybe she should see Elizabeth first and remind her how cross her mother would be if she were to learn of this fact. "For what reason?"
"Lord Phantomhive has called on her today," the servant replied with a small curtsey. "Will that be all?"
Serenity froze at the mention of the Phantomhive child and her blue eyes narrowed softly. It had been quite some time since she last saw the boy and his servant. Serenity would have preferred to have extended the reunion for quite some time more since learning of the demonic nature of his servant. A chill swept down her spine as her thoughts reflected to her last visit to the Phantomhive household.
"Do not disturb her," Serenity spoke in a monotone voice as she moved to head towards her rooms. "And do not inform her of my arrival just yet. I would like to freshen up before meeting with her and our guests"
"Of course?" The servant gave another curtsey and moved to continue with her earlier chores. Serenity was left to walk the halls to her room in solitude. Her feet carried her down the familiar path unperturbed as her eyes closed to concentrate on her surroundings. Again, it was quite odd. She could not sense a demonic presence, but it was clear that day how strong the demon was, even if it was only a quick flare of power.
It wasn't until she was nearing her door that Serenity sensed a change. Her eyes snapped open to focus on the door that was hers. Something about the air was different and her ears strained to catch any noise that may be unusual. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as something felt wrong. Instead of stopping and investigating this feeling, Serenity continued past her door and down the hallway. Only when the feeling began to fade away did she slip into an empty room and silently shut the door behind her.
Eyes of silver were the only thing to be seen in the dark room as her hand slipped into what one would assume to be a fold in her dress. From there an elegant hand mirror was retrieved and brought before her face. The tips of the fingers from her other hand glowed softly as they traced the smooth surface of the mirror, feeding power into it. The glow was fed into the mirror and an image lit across the screen, casting a soft glow over her features.
The image presented before her was of her room. Her brow knit in confusion as she failed to notice anything at first. Yet, upon feeding more magic into the mirror and focusing the image around the room, she was shocked and angered to find Ciel Phantomhive's servant in her quarters, rummaging through her belongings.
"That bastard," Serenity growled and, almost as if hearing her, the dark haired man suddenly straightened and observed his surroundings. Though she knew it was impossible for him to have heard her, she idly wondered if he could sense that he was being watched. More importantly, what was he doing in her room? What could he possibly be looking for, let alone expect to find?
Serenity cursed his image before slipping the mirror back into its hiding place. Turning towards the door, she left her current confines and headed back towards her rooms. She would be damned if she let that demon continue going through her belongings. No man had any right to do such a thing, human or demon. Yet, when Serenity came to her door once more, she hesitated. Her hand was hovering over the handle as she struggled to control her emotions. Elizabeth was home and this was not the time to confront such a being.
Taking a deep breath, Serenity slowly exhaled before letting her hand settle over the door handle. Whether or not the demon would flee from her rooms to prevent being caught flittered through her mind, but she was determined not to give him any information or let on what she knew. Sliding in through the doorway, Serenity was met with an empty, seemingly untouched room.
Gently she shut the door behind her and walked towards her closet to retrieve a fresh change of clothes. She was unsure as to whether or not he was still nearby observing. It was best to try and pretend to be none the wiser. Humming to herself to offer a distraction from her current situation, Serenity moved to quickly change so that she could find Elizabeth and ensure her safety.
Before leaving her rooms, Serenity quickly gathered her sketches that she had set aside upon entering the room earlier. After organizing them neatly, she walked over her desk to place them away until later. It wasn't until she opened one of her drawers that she noticed the first signs of the intruder's infiltration into her space. Serenity was very picky over her drawings in regards to the detail of the design, the organization of each sketch according to each customized piece, and the filing of said designs. Upon one of the most recent sketches was a smear on the corner of the paper where she had written some extra notes. For that specific request and the amount of detail, she had needed to create a larger sketch for approval of specific designs. Thus, she had used charcoal pencils to sketch this design and make notes at the bottom of the page. While a wonderful art tool, it had its flaws, including smearing at the slightest touch.
Eyes narrowed, Serenity shut the desk drawer and instead left her sketches from earlier that day to lay out until later. She instead went into another drawer and fetched some spare paper and a special bottle of ink. Upon the paper she began to paint specific characteristics on it. She did this to three specific pieces of paper before placing away the ink bottle and brush. Serenity waited several seconds for the ink to dry before placing a hand on each one and feeding power into it. Once finished, the Ofuda's were ready to be placed. She placed one on her window frame, one on the back of her bedroom door, and the last was placed in the desk on the roof of the drawer.
Now satisfied that her room was properly guarded for the time being, Serenity left her room and went in search of her cousin and the infamous Ciel Phantomhive.
…
...
I feel that this is a good place to stop. As you can tell, I have not given up on my stories, but updates will be a long way off as I am about to start clinical rotations. I will also be studying for my licensure exam which is to take place in April. Expect updates after the first week of April on my stories. That is, if my last minute wedding planning allows.
Thanks!
RxR