The Strings of Fate

Chapter Fourteen: An Unexpected Visitor?

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

(L)(Y)(D)(I)(A)

The night air was slightly chilled as Lydia made her way down to the hot springs. On Finny's suggestion, she decided a soak would help relieve her muscles from the days' work and help her relax. She had offered Giselle to join and the older woman had told her to go first. The changing rooms were void of others as they should be at that current time of night. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and, wrapping a towel around herself, headed outside.

The heat from the hot springs made the air heavy with moisture. Sweat was already forming along her exposed skin as she made her way around to the further side of the springs. Even though she had been here a few times before, she was still thoroughly impressed with the end result of the resort especially since it was finished within the short time they'd been there in Houndsworth. Although she would never admit it out loud, she noted Ciel had quite the eye for architectural design. Setting her towel by the edge, she waded into the pool.

The water burned as she slipped further in but became soothing once Lydia fully submerged her body. Relaxation immediately settled into her achy muscles and the physical stress from the day slowly faded away. She held up her arms and examined the scars that were starting to fade. She couldn't believe it had been six weeks already since the tragic death of James and Fang. The thought of them still stung but it didn't hurt as severely anymore.

Her eyes burned with the urge to cry and she rubbed them viciously to stop the tears. With a sigh, she leaned back against the rocks and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and sank further into the comforting warmth of the hot springs. Just as the water level engulfed her ears, she heard the sound of a door opening and sat up in alarm when she heard the low rumble of two male voices.

"A soak should help you relax for the night, my lord."

Lydia froze when she realized it was Sebastian which meant Ciel was also there. In an attempt to stay hidden, she shrank back into the water and pressed as close as she could against the rocks. She kept quiet as she strained to hear what was being said.

"You may leave, Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord."

Lydia didn't realize she was holding her breath until she heard the door close and let it out with a silent whoosh. How on Earth was she going to get out of this predicament? She heard the slushing of water and knew Ciel was entering the pool. She wondered if she could somehow sneak passed him. Looking around, she realized she couldn't see the door to the men's changing room from where she sat and figured Ciel also wouldn't see her leave pending on where he sat. The only problem was where he was sitting.

With an exasperated sigh, she worked up the courage to move from her spot. She kept close to the rock wall and tried to remain silent. Once the wall started lowering, she peeked out in search of Ciel's form only to be unable to find him. That meant he was sitting with his back turned to her which meant she could still make a sneaky getaway. She made her way to where she had laid her towel but slipped just as she approached.

Her splash was the loudest in the world and she wished she could just dissolve away into the water. She felt movement in the water before a hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up out of the water. She sputtered and her nose burned from the watery intrusion. She looked up and locked eyes with Ciel who was eyeing her with scrutiny. Remembering she had nothing on, she gasped and covered herself as she turned away to retrieve her towel.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the thought of Ciel seeing her naked. She couldn't bring herself to face him and wondered if she could just make her exit now. She heard Ciel sigh before he entered her line of vision and she saw a towel was draped loosely at his hips. The lone sheet of cloth was draped dangerously low and Lydia's cheeks flamed up even more.

She moved her eyes upward only to pause when she noticed a burn mark on the left side of his back. Before she could make out what the mark was, Ciel faced her and she looked up to lock eyes with him. He was eyeing her with an impatient stare; then, she realized he wasn't wearing his eyepatch and his right eye looked completely different from his left eye. She thought she saw a pentagram within his eye but wasn't sure because he covered his eye and turned away. She remembered where she was and realized she had been staring.

"I-I was just leaving," she mustered in haste. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," he replied in exasperation with a wave of his hand. "I thought there wasn't anyone else. If I had known…"

His eyes looked her over and she thought she saw his cheeks flush as he glanced away. Feeling completely exposed, she tightened her hold on her towel and ushered passed him.

"I-I'll leave you to it, then," she stated and brushed passed him to leave.

In her hurry, Lydia gasped as her feet gave way due to the slippery deck. She felt a tug on her elbow and she twisted back, squeaking when she collided into Ciel's chest. The collision knocked Ciel off his feet onto his back with Lydia following to land atop him. Wincing from the pain of falling, she realized she was atop Ciel and moved to get off only to stop when she realized she had lost her towel throughout the ordeal.

As if things couldn't get any worse…

Ciel stirred and seemingly recovered from his fall. As he moved to sit up, she straddled his hips and immediately pushed him back down. She felt a bit apologetic when his head thumped on the concrete ground but the feeling flitted away when he glared up at her with one eye closed. He attempted to sit up again and she maintained a firm hold on his shoulders to keep him down.

"Don't…" she started, "…move."

He huffed with irritation and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What're you—"

He shifted to sit up and glanced down only to stop and lay back down. Lydia was mortified when she saw the evident blush on his cheeks. Could things get any worse?

"So…what now?" he asked.

"I-I'm thinking!" she practically growled.

Looking around, she wondered where her towel had fallen and saw it lying several feet away to the right. It was almost out of her reach. She turned her attention back to Ciel to see he was focused on the ceiling. Maybe if…

"Close your eye," she instructed.

He raised an eyebrow as he met her eyes again.

"What?"

"Just do it!" she snapped; then, lowered her voice. "I'm going to reach for my towel and I sure as hell am not going to do it with your eye open."

Ciel responded with a sigh of disbelief but closed his eye. Lydia waved a hand in front of his face to make sure he wasn't peeking. Then, with a preparatory sigh, she leaned toward her towel with an outstretched arm. The towel was barely out of her reach so she toed the ground to rock her body further out in an attempt to increase her range. She tried several times with no avail and huffed with frustration. She stiffened when Ciel grabbed her hips and looked down at him to see his eyes were still closed but he was gritting his jaw.

"D-Don't…" he breathed in a husky tone that sent her body shivering. "Stop moving like that."

"Like what?" she asked.

Ciel let out a breathy sigh as he met her eyes and the heated expression she saw there made her mouth dry. With her concentration distracted, she became faintly aware of a certain hardness pressed against her lower belly. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what she had been doing and froze. She couldn't look him in the eye and knew she must have been as red as a cherry tomato.

"S-so…what do you want me to do then?" she asked.

Ciel didn't answer but—as their eyes locked again—his expression smoldered and her heart lurched into her heart. She immediately looked away. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the upper arms and rolled the both of them over twice to where he was atop her. Just as she would've retaliated, he removed himself from above her and covered her with what she recognized as her towel. She wrapped the towel around herself and got to her feet just as she heard Sebastian's amused voice.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ciel countered passively as he took the robe Sebastian was holding and brushed passed the butler. "Bring tea to my room."

"Yes, my lord."

Sebastian bowed as he placed a hand over his chest. Lydia watched Ciel retreat from the room. He paused with his hand on the door handle and spared her a glance before making his leave. Lydia tightened her hold on her towel as she stared after him. Hearing a soft chuckle, she turned her head and realized Sebastian was still there.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"My, my…"

His tone was teasing and had a lilt of something she couldn't quite pinpoint. She knew she didn't like it, though.

"When I first met you, Miss Lydia," he started with a wry grin, "I would not have taken you for a promiscuous woman."

"How dare you!" Lydia exclaimed as she moved to slap him.

Sebastian stopped her by grabbing her wrist and pulled her close.

"Come now, Miss Lydia," he stated in a matter of fact manner. "What sort of lady would throw herself at the Master while wearing only a towel?"

His eyes roved down her figure and back up to make contact with hers and she felt utterly exposed.

"It's not like that!" she countered as she tried pulling away. "Let go of me, you bastard!"

Lydia was glad Sebastian released her without another word and—with a huff—she made her escape to the changing rooms.

(S)(C)(E)(N)(E) (C)(H)(A)(N)(G)(E) – (G)(I)(S)(E)(L)(L)(E)

"Thanks for the help, Miss Giselle," Mey Rin said as she and Giselle finished folding and packing clothes.

"My pleasure, Mey Rin," Giselle replied with a smile. "Are you sure you don't want to go for a soak in the hot springs? It's your last chance since we'll be departing tomorrow."

"Ah, I'm afraid I'll have to decline," the maid stated as she adjusted her glasses. "I still have a few more errands to do before turning in for the night but don't let me keep you, Miss Giselle. Please go and enjoy a nice soak to help you relax; I'm certain Miss Lydia has been kept waiting long enough."

"I believe you're right," Giselle noted. "I shall leave you to your errands then, Mey Rin."

The maid bid her farewell and Giselle headed off. She made a quick stop to her room to retrieve her needed belongings and made her way outside. She hoped she hadn't missed Lydia but was surprised to see a figure emerging from the bathhouse. As she neared, she realized it was Ciel and called out to him.

"Ah, my lord," she greeted and saw the younger man jump. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you."

"Not at all," he replied and looked her over. "Enjoying the hot springs one last time before we depart, I assume."

"That is correct," she answered with a smile. "Lydia should be in there already."

Giselle thought she saw a hint of a blush on the earl's cheeks before he looked away.

"I didn't see her," he noted. "We must have missed each other."

"Ah, perhaps," Giselle said and noticed the awkward tension in Ciel's shoulders. "Well, I shall not keep you, my lord. Please have a good night."

Ciel nodded and departed after a curt bow. Giselle stared after him for a moment, wondering why he seemed so flustered. With a shrug, she continued her way and stopped as she was entering the women's changing room. Clearly agitated, Lydia was fully dressed and huffing with annoyance as she exited.

"Lydia, what's wrong?" Giselle asked. "Did something happen?"

"Not really," Lydia grumbled. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry; I was helping Mey Rin with some packing," Giselle answered. "I saw his lordship on the way here; he said you two must've missed each other."

Lydia immediately turned red.

"My gosh, Lydia," Giselle noted. "Are you all right? You're as red as a lobster."

"I-I'm fine!" Lydia countered. "I-I'm just…too hot! I think I soaked too long in the hot springs."

"Perhaps," Giselle said; she felt Lydia was hiding something but decided not to pry. "You head on back first, then."

"Okay," Lydia agreed. "Don't soak too long, okay? It's getting kinda late already, y'know."

"Yes, Mother," Giselle responded with a cheeky grin.

Lydia stuck her tongue out at her before she headed off back toward the castle. With a chortle, Giselle headed into the bathhouse. She quickly stripped and made her way to the hot springs. The water burned in a relaxing way as she slipped in and sighed. As she allowed the comfort to settle in, she found herself wondering if something had happened between Lydia and Ciel. The two appeared quite flustered when she mentioned one to the other. No matter how hard she pondered, though, she couldn't really figure out what could've happened and decided she'd ask Lydia when she had the chance.

Her skin prickled and she suddenly felt as though she was being watched. She looked around and confirmed she was alone but couldn't shake off the feeling. Splashing her face with some water, she decided she had soaked long enough and stood to leave. She turned with a gasp when she heard a splash from the further side of the springs. She saw the shadowy figure in the water as it moved toward her at an alarmingly fast rate and she scurried out of the pool only to slip. She plopped onto the ground with an audible "oof" and winced as pain sliced up her arm. Whatever was in the water stood and—with her heart in her stomach—Giselle looked over her shoulder to see who it was.

Pluto stood with his back to her as he stared up at the open ceiling. Giselle sighed in great relief and chuckled sheepishly at being spooked. The man-hound turned to look at her and—with puppy-like joy—bounded toward her. She barely managed to cover herself with her towel before he glomped and nuzzled her. Pain sliced through the arm she'd injured when she fell and she hissed. Pluto pulled away with an apologetic look and whimpered.

"It's okay, Pluto," she soothed as she pet his head with her good hand. "Just don't do that again; you'll give anyone quite a fright."

He immediately cheered up and nodded with an excited grin. Giselle couldn't help but imagine that his tail would be shaking if he'd been in his hound form. She chuckled and stood, wrapping her towel more securely around her form. She looked down at him to see he was looking up at the sky again. She looked in that direction as well and saw the moon was high in the sky already. Feeling a slight chill, she bid Pluto farewell with a pat on his head.

Her arm ached as she attempted changing into her clothes and she figured she must've jammed it pretty hard when she fell. With a sigh, she decided to just throw on her gown and gathered her underclothes before leaving. As she exited the changing room, she bumped into a solid form and stumbled back at the sudden obstacle. Gloved hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her and she looked up to see Sebastian.

"Oh, Mr. Sebastian," she commented. "You startled me."

"My apologies, Miss Giselle," he replied. "I did not mean to."

"I'm fine," she answered sheepishly. "Pluto startled me while I was in the hot springs too so I must be just feeling a bit jumpy."

"Is that so?"

Looking up, she noticed how close Sebastian was standing and wondered when he had gotten so close. She forced a laugh and attempted to shift away from him only to stop when he prevented escape by pinning her in place with a hand against the wall. He leaned in close to where the fringe of his hair tickled the bridge of her nose. She wrinkled her nose and looked up only to pause halfway when she realized how close their lips were. If she lifted her chin fully, their lips would touch and that notion made her inhale sharply.

She kept still as Sebastian raised his other hand and trailed his thumb over her lips. He leaned in even closer and it felt as though he was nuzzling her neck. She could hear his intake of breath as though he was sniffing her and she wondered what was going on. His hand that had prevented her escape dropped to her shoulder and trailed a heated path down her arm to grasp her wrist in a gentle hold. She attempted to pull away and remembered it was her injured arm after she winced when he tightened his hold on her. He pulled back and his other hand slid down to cup her neck. Again, she was aware of the proximity of their lips.

"Your arm is injured," Sebastian noted in a matter of fact manner.

"Y-yes," she confirmed. "H-how did you—"

"Know?" Sebastian interrupted.

Feeling foolish, Giselle thinned her lips and was tempted to look away.

"I…suppose it's obvious," she said. "M-Mr. Sebastian!"

She hissed in pain when Sebastian moved his hand up her arm to squeeze the part that hurt. He loosened his hold and gently massaged her upper arm. The action sent slivers of pain up her arm and she fought the urge to pull away. Eventually, the pain faded into a relaxing warmth and Sebastian released her before stepping back to allow space between them. Giselle raised her arm to test it and was surprised the pain was gone. She looked back at the butler with a smile of gratitude.

"You didn't have to, Mr. Sebastian," she noted.

"You are under the Master's supervision which means you are under my watch," Sebastian explained. "To allow you to be in discomfort would be a stain upon the Phantomhive name."

Giselle chortled.

"Thank you, then," she said. "Well, it's getting rather late and tomorrow is an early day."

She turned to leave but was stopped when Sebastian grabbed hold of her wrist. She looked back at him as he moved in close and she felt her heart lurch. He was looking at her with an unidentifiable expression that left her feeling exposed. He reached up and she felt the tug on her pendant. Looking down at the trinket, she watched as Sebastian thumbed the symbol.

"I have noticed that you never remove this, Miss Giselle," he noted.

"Yes," she answered. "It's silly of me but I can't help but feel attached to it. I feel bereft if I don't have it. I don't even take it off when I—"

She trailed off when she realized she was going to reveal too intimate of a detail. Sebastian's lips curved into a seductive smile and he replaced her pendant. When she thought he would release her, he surprised her by leaning in while pulling her close. They were close enough to share a lover's embrace but far enough to where they could still lock eyes. Staring up at those blood red pools, Giselle wondered what was going through his mind as he brushed aside the damp strands of her hair and grasped the side of her neck. She remained still as he leaned in closer almost as if he was going to kiss her. She found herself tilting her head back to give him access.

Just as their lips would have met, Pluto's howling sounded in the distance and Giselle was knocked out of her daze. Realizing what she was going to do, she pushed Sebastian back with wide eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears and she could see Sebastian was eyeing her curiously. Folding her arms over her chest, she chewed her bottom lip as she thought of an excuse for her behavior. Suddenly, Sebastian bowed with a hand over his chest and straightened with a smile that she had come to recognize as a representative one.

"Forgive me for my forward behavior, Miss Giselle," he stated. "Please, allow me to escort you back to your room."

Giselle searched Sebastian's face and it was as if his previous demeanor had been only a figment of her imagination. The thumping of her pulse proved differently, though, and she was disturbed by that notion. She managed a nod in response to his question and—with another of his representative smiles—Sebastian led her back to her bedchamber. The entire walk back was oppressively silent and Sebastian only spoke when he bid her "goodnight" before promptly leaving. Giselle felt a tad disappointed and—even as she drifted off into sleep—she couldn't understand why.

(S)(C)(E)(N)(E) (C)(H)(A)(N)(G)(E)

The following morning, Giselle entered the dining room to find Ciel was already eating breakfast. She curtseyed in greeting before taking her seat and noticed Lydia wasn't present.

"Lord Phantomhive, has Lydia not arrived yet?" she asked.

Ciel's cheeks were a dusty pink and he moved to drink from his teacup. Sebastian stepped forward and Giselle caught the knowing smile he sent Ciel's way. She wondered what that was about.

"Miss Lydia came earlier but promptly left," the butler explained. "She mentioned she didn't have an appetite."

"Oh?" Giselle questioned. "I'm surprised because she usually has a healthy appetite in the morning."

"Perhaps, she was feeling a little under the weather," Sebastian noted. "The two of you did take a soak in the hot springs rather late last night."

"True," Giselle said as she thought about it. "Perhaps, I'll go pack some food for her after breakfast just in case. She might get hungry on the road and it is a long ride back to the Phantomhive manor after all."

"Do as you wish," Ciel countered nonchalantly despite the dusky blush on his cheeks.

Giselle smiled and allowed Sebastian to serve breakfast. Several times, she locked eyes with him only to feel embarrassed and look away. She swore she could see a playful smirk on his lips each time she snuck a glance at him but she could never confirm it. Feeling uncomfortable under Sebastian's gaze, she quickly finished her breakfast and excused herself to go to the kitchen. When she entered, she was surprised to see Lydia enjoying breakfast with the servants.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Giselle," Finny greeted when she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," Giselle replied with a smile.

She looked at Lydia who promptly turned away and her behavior confirmed Giselle's suspicions that the younger woman was hiding something from her.

"What brings you to the servants' quarters, Miss Giselle?" Bard asked.

"I was thinking about packing lunch for the road," she explained. "It's quite a ride back to the manor and I thought some of us might get hungry before we arrive."

"That sounds like a great idea, yes," Mey Rin commented with a smile.

"Would you like us to help you, Miss Giselle?" Finny asked.

Giselle smiled as his enthusiasm and looked at Lydia who still refused to meet her eyes.

"Yes, I would like that very much, everyone," she said as she looked back at the servants.

"What about you, Miss Lydia?" Finny asked. "Would you like to help us?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Lydia replied hesitantly.

"Let's get started, then," Giselle announced.

The three servants headed off to prep what they wanted to have in the lunch basket and Giselle ushered her way to sit next to Lydia who hadn't budged.

"W-what?" Lydia grumbled as she turned away.

"So…what happened last night?" Giselle asked.

"What do you mean?" Lydia countered but Giselle could see her red cheeks.

"Hm, I don't know," Giselle drawled with a shrug. "Maybe…something happened between you and his lordship, perhaps?"

"Nothing happened last night!" Lydia exclaimed. "Wh-what makes you think that way anyway?"

"Aside from the fact that the both of you blush like a cherry tomato when I mention either of your names to each other?"

Giselle chortled when Lydia was at a loss of words and Giselle swore the younger woman blushed even more if that was even possible. Lydia shot to her feet and headed off toward where the servants were gathered. Her stiff shoulders indicated her frustration and Giselle figured she might have overdone her teasing a bit. With a sigh, she stood and headed after her sister.

"I was just kidding, Lydia," she called.

Lydia turned to look at her and Giselle could see her cheeks were still pink but she didn't seem upset.

"Nothing happened, okay?" Lydia urged. "Just drop it."

"Okay, okay," Giselle said between laughs.

They joined the servants who already had quite a pile of food selections. Bard and Mey Rin were debating about whether to bring milk while Finny was explaining to Tanaka and Angela that they were trying to pack a lunch basket. Giselle watched as Lydia went to calm down Bard's and Mey Rin's debate which was starting to get heated. She went to join the other three.

"Good morning, Miss Giselle," Angela greeted with a smile. "I trust you slept well your last night here."

"I did, thank you," Giselle fibbed.

She had tossed and turned throughout the night while dreaming about a certain red-eyed butler.

"It is hard to believe you are all leaving already," Angela announced with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "It feels as though you all just arrived yesterday."

"It does, yes," Mey Rin agreed and her expression became thoughtful.

"Hey," Bard started. "Don't sound so sad; we can always come back on our vacation to visit, right?"

"Yes, yes," Mey Rin agreed. "We can always come back to visit."

"Yes, that's right," Angela replied and shook her head. "Well, what are you packing for lunch then?"

With everyone's help, the lunch basket ended up being quite heavy. Giselle laughed at the end result but decided it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. The servants dispersed to gather their packed belongings and Giselle turned to Lydia who appeared to be in deep thought.

"Any last minute thing to do, Lydia?" she asked.

"I want to go see Fang."

(S)(C)(E)(N)(E) (C)(H)(A)(N)(G)(E)

Giselle watched as Lydia had her last conversation with Fang. The younger woman was clearly trying not to cry as she bid the grave farewell. Finny—who had also decided to come say goodbye—laid a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Giselle smiled at the young man's antics and was grateful. Lydia finished with a sniffle and stood with Finny's help. They turned to face Giselle and she took each of their hands, squeezing them in comfort. With Lydia's final glance to the grave, the three of them headed back to the castle to see the carriages were already being gathered up.

Ciel was already seated in the first carriage while Takana sat at the reins of the second one. Mey Rin and Bard just finished up loading the carriage as they approached. Giselle caught the glances between Lydia and Ciel and wondered what—indeed—had happened the night before. She turned and saw Angela approaching with Pluto who was blatantly naked. They were definitely going to have to get some clothes for the man-hound if he was going to stay at the Phantomhive manor. She noticed the white-haired maid was carrying a collar of some sort and watched as she slipped it around Pluto's neck.

"Nice and snug," the maid noted. "Don't ever forget me, dear Pluto."

She kissed Pluto's cheek and the man-hound gave a toothy grin.

"And put some bloody clothes on, all right?!" Bard exclaimed when he turned to see the naked man-hound. "Don't just let it all hang out there! Come on!"

Mey Rin turned away with an embarrassed cry and Giselle could see the smug look of nonchalance on Pluto's face.

"Er, well..." Finny started as he approached Angela. "It was fun, Angela."

She faced him with a smile.

"I'm sure we'll meet again someday," she said and kissed his cheek. "My sweet boy."

Finny made a flustered noise and turned bright red which would've amused Giselle had she not caught Sebastian's look of scrutiny aimed at the white-haired maid.

"If you're finished, shall we go?" he questioned.

"Certainly," the maid replied. "Maybe someday I'll come to visit Pluto at the estate."

"I don't know if that would be a good idea," Sebastian countered.

"What?"

Even Giselle was surprised by Sebastian's forwardness.

"You were able to tame a demon hound," Sebastian noted. "That's a task not many people could do." He stared down Angela. "You seem to have a talent for wrapping lesser beings around your finger."

Giselle caught the way Angela's eyes narrowed and remembered that this woman was indeed suspicious. She couldn't believe she had almost forgotten. Looking between the two, Giselle could almost sense the barely contained animosity between the two. She glanced at Lydia to see the younger woman was also aware of the tension with the way her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Let's go, Sebastian," Ciel called impatiently.

Sebastian was the first to move and he bowed before turning toward the first carriage. Angela turned her attention to the girls and Lydia gave a quick curtsey before she made her way to the second carriage. Giselle plastered on a smile and nodded when Angela bid her farewell with a bow. She headed to the first carriage and climbed up with Sebastian's help. He sat himself at the reins and they departed.

"See you, Angela!"

Giselle looked passed Ciel to see Finny waving goodbye to Angela. The maid waved back as well and didn't stop waving until they were at the bottom of the hill. Giselle settled into place and looked at Ciel who was off in deep thought. She decided not to bother him and looked over her shoulder at Sebastian who looked equally deep in thought. With a sigh, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself and wondered what Sebastian had meant when he had used the term "lesser beings".

(S)(C)(E)(N)(E) (C)(H)(A)(N)(G)(E) – (L)(Y)(D)(I)(A)

Lydia stood outside in the Phantomhive courtyard while staring up at the manor. Only two weeks had passed since they returned from Houndsworth but the weather had changed drastically. It was a chilly morning with a crisp bite in the air. She secured Finny's scarf more tightly around her neck and reminded herself to return it later. When she had gone outside earlier that morning and Finny had seen her without warm clothes, he had immediately removed his scarf and wrapped it around her. No amount of reasoning would make him take it back and—after she thanked him—he headed off to finish his other chores.

Snuggling into the scarf, Lydia sighed happily at its warmth and headed off into the courtyard. She paused when she heard the evident sound of footsteps nearby and wondered who it could be. She heard the tinkling of belts and deduced that the person carried a sword. The footsteps were heading in her direction and she heard them stop several feet away. She heard the sound of a sword being drawn and she turned in time to catch the glare of the sun on a blade before jumping out of the way.

She faced the intruder to see a young man—perhaps several years older than Ciel—standing a few feet away with a severe expression and his sword drawn. He had blonde hair and green eyes that seemed familiar to her. He was dressed in a sophisticated suit that looked expensive and she wondered if he was a visitor. Before she could ask, he charged at her with his sword extended and she rolled to the side to avoid getting hit. He turned to swipe at her and she jumped back to dodge. Taken aback by his quickness, Lydia went on the defensive as she evaded the man's moves.

Who was this guy?

He continued on the assault, ushering her further away from the manor, and she wondered if he thought she was the intruder. With a snort, she decided she should probably teach the guy a lesson for misjudging others. Now, she just had to find a way to go on the offensive before he actually managed to get a hit on her. Focusing on her opponent, she noted that he had great form and excellent footwork. She knew he probably spent a lot of time practicing and gave him props.

The man sidestepped and Lydia caught sight of her moment. She rushed forward and twisted to avoid the man as he thrusted his sword at her. She grabbed hold of his wrist of his sword hand and kicked out her foot to kick his leg back, flipping him. He landed on the ground with the air knocked out of him and his sword slipped from his hand. Lydia bent down to swoop up the sword and held the point at his throat as she straddled his waist. He held his hands up but she saw the look of determination in his eyes and knew he wasn't really surrendering.

"Who are you?" she asked in the most intimidating voice she could muster. "Sebastian would have told us if there was going to be visitors."

His emerald eyes glazed over with confusion as if he hadn't expected that declaration.

"I said 'who are you'!" she exclaimed.

"Brother?!"

Lydia looked up at the familiar voice and her eyes widened in surprise.

Author's Note: Ah hah, guess who's back? Back again! (insertawesomeEminemsong) Anyways, terribly terribly TERRIBLY sorry about the long long LONG period of no updates! XP We are back in the game again, dear readers; I hope you are all still alive and breathing? SoOo, here we are with the long awaited Chapter Fourteen and we hope you all enjoyed it! Hopefully, the next chapter will be out sooner than another year but no promises. Hehe, just kidding! Or are we? XP Thanks for reading and see you all on the next update!