A/N: hi guys! once again, thank you for waiting. i am a terrible person i know aaa. now that summer is here, i'm hoping i'll have enough time to finish up this story before school starts back up in september! because we all know how this goes; once school starts i basically have no time to write fun things.

ah yes speaking of fun and painful things, did you guys read the new chapter of the manga? if you haven't go read it right now i'm freaking out ok

anyways, without further ado, i present this kind of long and boring chapter. but hey, you get to learn a few things about the setting so. y a y.

Warnings: Nada.

Chapter 13

"You want me to take you to her village?" Sebastian asked. His disbelief was palpable.

Ciel nodded, wearing a determined look. "I'm going to see her family. You have to let me go. You owe them this."

Based on what Beatrice had told him, Ciel had several things in mind. She'd told him that her daughter was ill and that her husband, the only one around to take care of her, was brutally beaten. Disabled. His hand was cut off. Surely Sebastian could provide money for them to get whatever they needed. He could give some kind of medicine for her sick child and proper medical attention for her husband's wounds. If they were still alive, that is. He could supply them with food, since it must have been difficult to work with only one hand. He could even take the child back to the castle and have the nurse care for her. Anything to make up for taking Beatrice away from them just to throw her in the dungeon.

The king shook his head. "No. I can't allow it."

"Why?"

Sebastian leaned forward ever so slightly, his smile was wicked and his eyes playful. "Because how do I know this isn't your own attempt to escape from me?"

Ciel hadn't even thought of escaping when he was taken outside of the castle walls. He played with the idea, but briskly tossed it out the window. There was a more realistic matter at hand—one that was enough of a hassle already—which was getting the king to listen to him.

"Tch. If you don't trust me, come with me," he said, as if it was obvious.

"Honestly, Ciel? I have a feast to attend."

"Then send someone else with me. Send Sir Charles. He held me captive in my room last night to make sure I wasn't involved in the plan."

Sir Charles seemed like a reliable man, loyal to the king. Sebastian, in turn, seemed to trust his knights. But even if Sebastian refused this offer, Ciel intended to be persistent. He was sure he could manipulate the king enough to let him go.

A deep grimace sullied the king's features. "Are you ever going to let this go?" he sighed.

"No. Not until you take responsibility for your actions. You're a king. That's what you're supposed to do."

The air was heavy around them. Ciel watched Sebastian closely, but he didn't return his gaze. He stared at the ground, deep in thought for a while. "Listen to me," he finally hissed. He grabbed the boy's face and held it firmly in place so that their eyes were locked. "If you try anything, I will find you. I will come out of the castle myself and find you, and you will sleep in the dungeon every night with the rats. Do you understand?"

Startled, the boy gripped Sebastian's wrist and wrenched it away from his face. He threw the hand away from him like it was sweltering hot and stood up, indignant. Regardless of his lowly heritage, Ciel despised being told what to do. Even when it was it parents. Even if it was the king.

The boy's resentfulness was soon forgotten when he realized that the king had just given him permission to leave the castle. It had been months since he'd stepped foot off of the castle grounds, into the wide open world. Exhilaration surged through him. His head spun and the tips of his fingers tingled. Even if it wasn't for long, he was leaving the castle. He wasn't aware of how invigorating the concept was until just then.

"I'm not going to try to escape. You have my word," he said.

Ciel woke up early the next day. Rather, he was prematurely roused from his slumber.

Sir Charles was indeed the knight who Sebastian had sent to usher Ciel to the village, but they weren't alone. Another knight, also named Charles, was coming with them as well. It was evident that the two knights had nothing in common besides their names. While the Charles Ciel already knew was on the shorter side and had a lively and cheerful aura, the new Charles was tall and stoic and chivalrous. Ciel wondered how they even got along. One was quiet, the other rarely stopped talking. One was raring for a fight and the other wanted an undisturbed trip. Ciel anticipated arguments ensuing at some point during their journey.

Ciel and the two knights were out by the stables, readying the horses for their trip. They had satchels in their possession, full of various things might be useful for their journey. Everyone was dressed in warmer clothes that day. The wind that blew Ciel's cape and his hair in every direction was uncomfortably cool. In no time, his teeth began to chatter loudly and his body tensed and shook.

It took a copious about of restraint not to bounce on his heels. In spite of his impatience, Ciel ignored the burning urge to hop on one of the horses and leave without them. Before he was taken, the longest distance he had traveled away from his village was a kilometer, perhaps less. It wasn't far, but at least he had the freedom to choose.

Added with his eagerness to leave, he had a blazing question on his tongue. Beatrice, he knew for certain, was a peasant, and the kingdom was not very big. Stopping at his own village to check up on his family didn't seem like a terribly far-fetched idea. He had a feeling he'd be able to sweet talk the first Charles into it, but it was the new, well-mannered Charles he wasn't so sure about.

"Have you ridden a horse before?" taller Charles asked, plucking Ciel from his thoughts. It was the first time he had heard him speak. His voice was profoundly low, but gentle.

"No," Ciel said. Besides the night he had left his village, of course, but he'd never ridden by himself.

"It's not that hard. It's just a little bumpy, that's all. It's early, so we'll be able to take our time if you need," Charles said.

If that was the case, then perhaps they could go to his village after all. Not for long, of course, but just in enough time to see his family. "Sir Charles," Ciel said, deciding to finally let the question loose.

In perfect unison, both of the knights' heads turned to look at him.

Ciel sighed and regarded both men calmly. "You're both Charles. What do I call the two of you without getting mixed up?"

"I'm Grey. Charles Grey. He's Sir Charles Phipps." He beamed when he reintroduced himself.

Ciel nodded. "I suppose I should ask both of you. Where is Beatrice's village located?"

"It's near the eastern outskirts," Phipps said. The land that touched the outer walls—the perimeter that separated them from neighboring territories. That's where Ciel's village was as well.

Charles Phipps led a horse over to Ciel and handed him the reigns. He reached into his satchel and produced a piece of rolled-up parchment. Ciel watched the man's glove-concealed fingers straightened it out and hold it up for them to view. It was a detailed map of the kingdom.

Ciel's eyes scanned the parchment, wondering where his own home was. The kingdom was roughly oval-shaped, with the heart of the land—the castle—being much closer to one edge than the other. Ciel noted how every road branched out from the castle, stemming through the land like branches on a tree. It was so structured; there were symbols and words, which Ciel could not read, splayed across the map, labeling every landmark, every town, every road.

The layout of the kingdom meant that there were really only two options. Either his own home was fairly close to Beatrice's—or at least within a doable distance—or on the opposite side of the kingdom entirely. He also kept in mind that, never having traveled far beyond his house or outside the castle, he had no idea just how large the kingdom actually was. What looked like nothing more than drawing on a small piece of parchment could have, in actuality, been a week's trip.

Ciel remembered the journey from his village to the castle. It had taken them the entire evening and night just to reach the drawbridge. They had, however, made stops along the way to meet up with the other knights and to rest the horses. If they hadn't taken those breaks, the trip might not have been very long at all.

"This is where we are now, obviously." He pointed to the large structure on the map that signified the castle. "This is where Beatrice's village is. Phipps pointed to a small section on the bottom right side of the map, which didn't seem terribly far.

"If we leave now, we should get there by midday," Sir Charles Grey added.

"Is my village around this area too?" Ciel asked, making a circle with his finger around the area between the castle and the eastern wall.

"If I remember correctly, you're from this village," Phipps murmured thoughtfully, pointing to an even smaller section than Beatrice's. Sure enough, the town he'd pointed to was somewhat recognizable. The hills and the stream were all vaguely marked with words. The main road cut right through the center of the village just like he remembered. So Ciel's home was on the eastern side of the kingdom.

His breath hitched when he realized just how close the two villages were. Surely it wouldn't take much more time to stop by his village…

"Geez," Charles Grey said in a hopeless voice, "You don't even know where your own village is."

"In my village, we didn't have the luxury of maps and books like you do," Ciel remarked, glaring at him for his frankness. Despite himself, he felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

Charles Phipps, being a brawnier man than Charles Grey, helped Ciel onto his horse, effortlessly lifting him off the ground in the process. Once his legs were on either side of the horse, Ciel grabbed onto the reigns. His knuckles turning white from the force of his grip. The creature never stopped moving, shifting slightly here and there, and he moved right with its motions. Charles Phipps led the horse around in a large circle to help him get used to the movement, while Grey told him how to steer the horse. This went on for a good amount of time, before Ciel shooed Phipps away.

"I'll take this as you're ready to go?" Charles Grey asked, grinning. He mounted his horse also, giving the impression that even if Ciel wasn't ready, they were going.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Ciel mumbled, feeling useless. As long as they didn't rush, that is.

The three of them began with a slow walk. Ciel's stomach lurched when they made it to the drawbridge; the entrance to the castle grounds. Although their destination wasn't where he truly wanted to go, and in spite of his constantly unenthusiastic expression, he was thrilled. Soon enough, they were quite a ways away from the castle, riding in silence.

"Why did you ask where the villages were, Ciel?" Charles Grey asked after a while.

The question Ciel had been aching to ask was still gnawing at the back of his mind, so he was grateful that he had brought it up again. "I was wondering if Beatrice's village was close to my own. And we'd be able to stop there so I can check up on my family."

Ciel saw the two knights exchanged a look. "We'll see," Grey drawled.

The three of them rode on for hours. Most likely, the journey would have been quicker if it wasn't the peasant's first time riding a horse. Because of him, they had to take their time. Ciel didn't mind the slow and tedious pace though. It had been far too long since he'd been able to breathe the air outside of the castle again. The more distance between him and the castle, the more distant between him and his loneliness. He wanted to cling to that for as long as he could.

"By the way, Ciel, what did you tell the king about me?" Charles Grey asked. That was the first time Charles had addressed Ciel directly during their entire trip. He was chatting with the other Charles the entire time otherwise.

"What do you mean?"

"Well the king didn't trust me enough to send me alone with you. That's why he sent Charles with us."

Ciel stared dumbly at Charles Grey. So Sebastian had sent another knight with them because of something he'd said? "Why does the king have such a hard time trusting people?" the boy blurted, irritated. He understood why the king refused to risk sending him alone. But did the king's suspicion really stem to people Ciel had spoken to just once? He doubted that level suspicion was justified.

The two Charles exchanged another meaningful look. They did that a lot, Ciel noticed. Instead of sating the boy's curiosity, they let the subject wither away. The several minutes of awkward silence that ensued did nothing besides fully ignite his interest.

Charles Grey cleared his throat after a while, and broke that silence. "Anyways, you never answered my question."

"Well I suggested that he should come with me to the village if he really didn't trust me, but he said he wasn't able to because of the feast. So I mentioned you. All I said was that you didn't seem to trust me, so it would be smart."

Charles groaned, but he didn't reprimand Ciel. Again, Sir Charles let the subject die. Apparently they were allowed to ask questions, but Ciel was not.

The smooth road that they were on came to an abrupt end, leaving them on a beaten, rugged path that lay in the middle of a small meadow, which was currently the only thing that separated the three of them from their destination. Beatrice's village was quite large compared to Ciel's. There was a wooden fence built around the entirety of it. From what he could see, the lord's manor was on the far end, and the public buildings and houses were arranged in a circle around the village square.

The horse's hoofs clicked on the bridge that lay suspended over a murky, fast-moving stream. His stream. Knowing how close they were to his home, Ciel wondered if this stream was the very same that flowed right outside of his own little town. The three stepped through the gate and into the wagon-cluttered roads. Charles led them to a small, grassy area where the horses could graze while they searched for Beatrice's residency.

"Neither of us were there when the girl was taken, so we don't know where she lives. We'll have to ask. It's a small enough village, so it shouldn't take too long to find someone who knows her." Charles Grey dismounted his horse and tied it to a tree. Charles Phipps followed suit. Ciel jumped down from his horse, wincing when his feet hit the ground. Phipps led the horse away to be tied up while Ciel rolled his ankles in pain. Next time, he would wait for one of them to help him down. The horse was huge and, unfortunately, he was short.

Ciel took the lead, first approaching a group of young men who appeared to be struggling with a wagon full of food sacks. "Excuse me," Ciel said politely, addressing the man who seemed to be watching with amusement as the others struggled. "Do you have a moment?"

The man looked at Ciel condescending way, like he was about to tell him to run off and play with the other kids. His expression changed, however, when he saw the two knights that stood on either side of him.

"Is there a problem?"

"Don't worry. We're just looking for someone," Charles Grey's wolfish grin in place. He probably enjoys intimidating people, Ciel thought.

Charles' playfulness seemed to calm the man down a bit. The men who were previously fighting with the broken wagon now had their attention on the conversation.

"Do you remember the woman who was taken away by knights to work for the king?" Ciel asked calmly.

Then man stepped away from the shade of the building, toward the three off them. He squinted against the sun, the crinkles beside his eyes standing out. "Which one?"

Ciel blinked and his head tilted. As far as he knew, only one person was from this village. "Which…one?" he mimicked.

"Well there was one taken at the beginning of the summer," the man clarified. "The other was taken a couple years ago."

Ciel's blood stopped cold in his veins and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. But he needed to handle one situation at a time, so he chose to address that issue later on. "Ah. The most recent one. Beatrice."

The man dipped his head, his face doleful. "Yes, I remember. I knew her husband."

"Knew?" Charles Grey spoke up. Ciel glanced back at the man, who was listening intently, his head tilted like a curious child's.

"The knights beat him before they left with his wife." Ciel didn't miss the dubious look he gave the two knights standing on either side of him. "He died a few days after she left."

Ciel swallowed hard. "Well they had a child, didn't they? What became of her?"

"Neither of them had any relatives to take the kid, so she was taken in by one of the widowed village women."

"Where do they live?" Charles Phipps demanded, and Ciel felt his irritation rising. Phipps' tone was threatening, which was not their purpose for being there.

The man's head tilted back, laughing humorlessly. "Why? Are you going to take the child away too?"

Ciel's attention snapped back to the man. "Of course not. We don't have much time. Please just tell us where she is."

A part of Ciel—the selfish part of him—wanted to leave as soon as possible. He wanted to see his family and he knew that the later it got, the less likely they were to allow him to visit his village. He wondered if his family would be home. He wondered how they would react to seeing him, or if they would demand that he stay. He wondered if they were still heartbroken about his leaving, or if they had moved on.

The man they encountered seemed overly eager to get away from the other men and the wagon to show the three strangers to the house. The house was quite a walk from where they were. With every turn they made, Ciel surveyed the area, taking mental guesses at which one it would be.

When the young man finally stopped and turned to the three of them, they stood before a quaint little one-story house; one fit for a small family. It was a nice. It was a house that, back when he had no idea what luxuries awaited him behind the castle walls, Ciel would have envied. Firewood was neatly stacked on the side of the house and the door was slightly ajar.

After the man that had helped them departed, Ciel strolled up to house and rapped on the door. He considered peeking inside to see if anyone was even home, but decided against it. If the woman was indeed home, the last think he wanted to do was get on her bad side from peeking inside without permission.

There was a minute of quietness. A minute that lasted much too long. Right as Ciel raised his fist to knock again, the door swung inward to reveal a thin woman with tousled, blond hair and jagged teeth. Her clothes were in tatters. Her cheekbones and collarbone jutted out unhealthily.

And on her hip was a tiny girl, no older than two years. Beatrice's daughter.

A/N: I proofread and uploaded this in a hurry, so please let me know if there are any mistakes so I can fix them before too many people see this and I look like a fool. :D