Revelations

Chapter nineteen

AN: So, I had initially thought of making this chapter go in a different direction but, then I watched like all of season #2 and I thought instead that maybe this would be a better idea. I dunno, but I'm sure you peeps will let me know!
Anyway, basically at the very end of this chapter, I bring in yet ANOTHER character from Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji that once again, I'm sure you ALL love!
So, with that said, here's a probs long awaited chapter #19! :D 

Once everyone calms down over the very sudden interruption which was the local undertaker himself, Queen Victoria bangs her gavel against the tall desk, forcing all that are present, to silence. A few long seconds pass before, she finally fixes her gaze back on the old guy with the shiny, silver hair and when she does, her expression no longer looks angered by rather petrified?
'As if Her Majesty even knows of such a thing...', Ciel thinks, bitterly.
But, the young boy turns his attention back to the stand and to the pale-haired man who's once again speaking for the queen.
"In that case, who do you call upon as your first witness?"
Ciel can't help the cough-like sound that escapes his throat at the question, he bites his lip, waiting for the Undertaker's answer.
Indeed, he is curious to see just HOW they're going to pull this whole thing, off.
"I would like to call on one of the Earl's own servants who is present here, today. Mey-Rin, please take to the stand.", he says, pointing with one bony old hand to the witness stand which is little more than a wooden box closed in on all four sides, save for one side, that can be opened to act like that of a door.
Hurriedly, the cherry-haired girl gets up, mumbling to herself as she stands in the box, her face flushing profusely as she fiddles nervously with her now clasped together hands.
As Ciel watches her, he can only feel two emotions colliding together in his mind, like the rolling thunder clouds of a storm, anxiety and regret.
Anxiety, at what she may say to the people gathered in the long wooden benches.
Regret, at what he has put not just her, but all of his servants through, by making them withhold any truth of the two's apparent relationship, until now.
Now, it will all come to light.
Like, when the bright, morning, light of a new day seems to pierce through his drapes, causing him to be temporary blinded by the oppressing illumination.
He knows all of that, that whatever has happened between them will be revealed like that sunlight, so why then does he find himself feeling...afraid?
Ciel Phantomhive doesn't know why, but he knows darn well that it most likely has to do with a certain servant of his, who now sits wedged in between two guards, crimson eyes barely glancing at anyone or anything.
"Alrighty then, can you please tell the court your name?"
Mey-Rin gives the man now talking to her a curious look, as if he should already know her name without her saying it.
But, she fixes her gaze straight ahead and answers more confidently than Ciel's ever seen her do.
"I am Mey-Rin."
"And, what is your professional, Mey-Rin?", the Undertaker asks, making sure to annunciate her name very clearly.
The girl's lip starts to tremble at that, and the boy who is still sitting atop Bard's shoulders sighs, knowing his maid's calm exterior had been breached.
"I-I work for M-Master C-Ciel! Yes, I do!"
The sound of a gavel banging against a desk can be heard.
"Objection! A witness must not shout so in a courtroom!"
The Undertaker quickly explains that no doubt the maid's just nervous, so she spoke in such an abrupt manner.
After consent from the Queen's assistant to continue, he carries on with his questioning.
"Can you tell us what work you do for the Earl Phantomhive?"
Mey-Rin nods her head vigorously.
"I'm a housekeeper, indeed I am."
"Very good. Now then, what were you doing on June 12th of this exact year?"
"I was helping out with the Master's ball for Lady Elizabeth, yes I was."
Slowly, Undertaker nods, then takes a step closer to the box where she stands, his eyes not leaving hers.
"Mey-Rin, would you be a dearie and remove your specs?"
"W-What?"
"Your spectacles. Can you please take them off?"
Ciel knows that his lawyer will be yelled at for such a thing, and he's right.
"Objection! Asking a witness to remove her much needed eyewear is petty and very much unnecessary! If you decide to keep acting so rash, we will have you removed and this case will be closed the way it now stands! Do I make myself clear?!"
It's hard for the young boy to imagine the queen saying such things, especially with Oliver doing the talking for her.
He sighs, propping his chin on his cook's head, seemingly bored and wondering why his lawyer (if you'd even call him that!) is being so precarious. Beating around the bush.
'Just get to the damn point!', Ciel shouts angrily in his head, even though he knows the old guy won't be able to hear him.
As if in answer, the man nods to the queen and then explains that it is vital for the case to be further delved into in such a way.
"Now then, your spectacles, please."
With shaky fingers the girl slowly reaches up to her face and begins to lift the circular fogged up glasses off the bridge of her nose. Ciel hears the gasp that follows, before he sees his maid.
Her dark brown cat-like eyes are now exposed, causing her to flush even more, as she fiddles again with her hands, accidentally dropping the glasses to the floor.
There is a sound like the shattering of glass and Ciel can't help but in his mind, be transported back to the day when his whole life went up in flames. Literally.
He remembers the sound as clear as that of the large bronze bell on the clock tower in the town square tolling, can hear the shriek of the hot flames and the crackling sound as the clear glass of the windows is blown apart and comes crashing to the floor in a instant, the memory bringing tears to his eyes. Both of them. Not just the one that's fully displayed in the bright light of the courtroom.
Quickly, he rubs at them with his hands, being careful not to accidentally push off his black eyepatch in the process.
When he rids them of the unwelcome tears and stops recounting that horrible memory, he looks over at Mey-Rin, who is now sobbing as she apologizes over and over again for being so clumsy.
But, Undertaker just waves his hand in a dismissive manner and tells her that if she needs to take a quick break she can do so.
The girl nods a little bit too eagerly and once she's out of that horribly confining box, runs over to the big wooden double doors and flings them open, welcoming the fresh air of outside as she tries not to topple over from nerves.
Meanwhile, back inside the courthouse, the queen gives the signal to Oliver and the gavel slams down, meaning that the case will be continued momentarily, or when the undertaker's witness finally comes back in and can be questioned further.
With that, everyone gets up from their seats, chattering excitedly about what has happened thus far, and what they think will happen.
Ciel though, doesn't say a word as he is lifted off of the cook's shoulders and placed on the floor, his shoes making a clacking sound as they land on the floor's surface.
"Sorry Earl, gotta get on back to the manor, for' my soufflé burns or deflates. I'll do my best to get back as soon as I can.", Bard says, then hurriedly runs to the doors and is gone before Ciel can think of anything to say.
"Aw, it's okay, young master. I'm sure he'll be back soon!", Finny says, causing the boy to jump, having forgotten that his gardener was even here, due to the fact he has been so quiet.
But of course, that's not why he yells at him.
"W-What did you just call me?!", Ciel demands, his tone stern and his teeth clenched.
The young gardener stumbles back a bit from the boy, seemingly frightened at the Earl's sudden change of behaviour.
"I-I'll I said was young master! That is what we call you...isn't it?"
"No!", Ciel shouts reaching out to grab his blond-haired servant by his shirt collar.
"No! You will NOT call me that! Not EVER AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME, FINNIAN?!"
It's the first time he's said the servant's name, and the way he says it, only causes Finny to cower back more.
"Alright! Alright! If you so wish, I will not call you that anymore! Just please don't yell at me! Please...Master!"
But, the young boy doesn't hear him anymore because, he's made it over to the wooden double doors of the courthouse and has one black-gloved hand on the knob, ready to turn it.
He's seething with rage and knows that staying in this courtroom any longer with Finny...and only being able to glance at Sebastian, as if the demon is not a person really, but just an inanimate object on display...being subjected to the cruelty of others, will only cause him to do something that he most likely will regret.
And, the thought makes Ciel Phantomhive laugh bitterly as he remembers his demon, his lover, his everything, saying the exact same words to him through their telepathically-induced bond.
So, without turning to look back, he flings open the doors (much like Mey-Rin did when she left) and runs out into the streets, tears streaming down his face as he tries to block all thoughts of Sebastian, of this wretched case from his head.
He no doubt would've hit a nearby tree, had it not been for a voice that suddenly made itself known over his whirling thoughts.
"I thought I'd find you here. Honestly Ciel, what's going on with you?"
And that's all the young boy needs to hear, before he feels his legs slowly give out from under him as he collapses into the arms of a familiar somewhat ally he had thought he'd also lost.
"A-Alois? Is that really you?", the young Earl manages to get out in a hiccup of breath.
The blond-haired boy smiles down at Ciel, who's currently got his head on the Trancy boy's lap and nods, before reaching out and wrapping his arms around Ciel, as the other boy begins to cry again.