Bound and Shackled- Various Black ButlerxOC

2. Evils of Man

Authors note- This chapter contains descriptions of human trafficking,  physical and sexual abuse, and unjust imprisonment. I will mark triggering events with an asterisk (*) followed by a brief warning. I will mark the end of these events with an asterisk (*) followed by the word end.

Thank you for reading! Please comment suggestions, encouragement, and constructive criticism. 

Several months had passed since Ophelia moved into the Trancy manor. At first life with the Earl had been boring and uneventful. Ophelia had harbored suspicions about the true nature of the Earl and little by little was discovering his nefarious secrets. The Earl was a drunkard at best and a devil at worst. Often Ophelia would find herself at the receiving end of a switch or walking stick for merely crossing paths with the belligerent lord. In his drunken state Trancy would beat her mercilessly as he rambled on and on about her endless flaws and lack of gratitude. Although vicious, the brute was methodical in his cruelty and made sure that her bruises and blemishes could be easily hidden away underneath her clothing. She was never struck above her breastbone or below her elbows. Despite his burning resentments and dislike of her he enjoyed showing her off as his china doll in front of his peers and relishing in praises for his grand philanthropy.

Ophelia was never allowed to be alone. A revolving set of maids shadowed her round the clock and watched her every move. Any display of 'poor behavior' was sure to be noted and reported to the Lord of the house with haste. It was expected that the young Phantomhive was to mold herself into an exemplary standard of grace and femineity. The Earl dictated all aspects of her life from her daily dress, activities, and her dietary intake. No longer did Ophelia have the freedom to further her intellectual pursuits as academia was considered unladylike to her warden. She was allowed only frivolous reading and small portions to make her vapid and frail. She was denied access to current news and post and had been made ignorant of matters outside the estate.

Shortly after the Earl had decided to withhold information from her, she was no longer allowed to set foot outside the estate without Trancy as a chaperone. Whereas she used to find solace in the garden she had become a prisoner within the manse. Over time Ophelia secluded herself in her suite and nary spoke a word unless directed to. She dreamed she could be invisible to the eyes of others. She wished she could reunite with her family in death.

*Depictions of sexual and physical abuse*

For the first time in her life Ophelia was grateful that she was a female. Despite all the abuse inflicted upon her from her guardian she was spared from the Lords most vulgar appetites. She was missing certain parts and thus could never be an outlet for his depravity. The earl had an insatiable appetite for young boys. Boys on the cusp of puberty were imprisoned in a dank dark dungeon underneath the mansion's foundation. The Earl spared no expense on obtaining his little toys from his myriad of suppliers. The Earl had often demanded Ophelia entertain his merchant associates in the salon by playing the harp or violin.

Ophelia despised this more than any of the Earls' many sins. She could accept being beaten and deprived by the monster, but her insides churned with rage and desperate despair knowing that he was sexually brutalizing the young boys. She plead to God repeatedly to save the young boys and set them free. Her prayers were desperate cries for salvation and urging the heavenly father to free all captives. Her prayers remained unheard and unanswered and instead were followed by painful cries heard from behind the door of the Earls private chambers. She was powerless and infantilized.

*End*

One blustery fall evening Ophelia had been called upon to entertain guests in the salon. She was dressed in her finest cream-colored gown and adorned with precious pearls and gems. In the salon seven elderly nobles of various ranks listened intently as she played expertly on the grand piano. Each man held in their hand's sifters of the finest brandy and imported cigars. Tea, cakes, and light foods were spread on every surface for the peckish guests. The room smelled terribly of smoke and sour sweat. Tonight was to be an incredibly important meeting with the traffickers. No doubt this disgusting lot had intentions to spend generously and greedily on the promised exquisite wares.