Amor Fati

Discarded memories

The red and orange leaves fell slowly to the ground in a dancing motion at the blow of the seasonally cold wind outside the Phantomhive manor. Finny, the gardener was there sweeping energetically the falling leaves and gathering them at the center of the garden where Pluto, the guard dog of the mansion would set them on fire.

Ciel Phantomhive, the head of the Phantomhive household, watched them through his study window for a while before to go back to the paperwork that has been piling up on his desk. With a sigh he pulled the chair of his mahogany large desk and set, stretching his neck to the side a bit, he desperately tried to cease the pain that has been bugging him all day long, faintly, but constantly.

Realizing it won't stop any time soon, the Earl chose to focus on the job he had at hand instead. paperwork wasn't new to him, it rather became a part of his every day routine ever since he took over the Funtom company, but its amount kept increasing with time, in seven years, his company expanded greatly, with branches in almost every continent and offering other commodities beside toys, sweets, food and perfumes, it became one of England's most brilliant economy icons and the young Earl didn't seem to mind all the extra responsibilities and busy schedules that came along with this expansion.

No, quite the opposite... along with the watchdog missions he had to accomplish for the queen, it kept his mind busy and away from drifting to other pointless thoughts.

A sudden knock on the door blew off the young man's pitiful attempts of concentration.

« Come in »

Sebastian, the head butler of the household walked in, driving the afternoon tea cart « it's time for your afternoon tea young master ».

Ciel's eye drifted from his butler to the grandfather watch above the fireplace, the needles indicated three and half «...yes it is » he placed the papers in his hands at the corner of his desk reluctantly, time passed quickly without him realizing and he didn't get to finish today's share in time, sighing, he watched his butler pour him his tea « today's tea is Assam with cornmeal cake of pears and blackberries »

Ciel sipped his tea slowly as his eyes wandered around the desk and the rest of the paperwork and they ended up landing on his butler, much to Ciel's wonder, the said butler had a large grin plastered on his face, he seemed somehow...amused.

Ciel stopped sipping his tea and looked thoroughly at his butler in discomfort « what's so amusing ? »

« I was waiting for my Lord to finish his afternoon snack but since you asked » Sebastian took a silver tray that was laying on the cart and placed it on the desk in front of the Earl.

« what is this ? »

« it's a letter we just received... after seeing the seal on it I thought it would be best to deliver it to you without any delay »

Ciel placed his tea cup to the side and took the letter in his hands, he didn't need a second look to know who the sender was « ...The Lionton seal ».

The grin on Sebastian's face grew wider as he spotted the perplexed look on his master's face but much to his dismay, it was too fleeting to be called a real reaction and there, it was his master's stoic expression facing him again. However, Sebastian wasn't only anticipating his master's reaction but the content of the sealed letter as well, his master didn't receive any word from the said Lionton for about three years, the relationship between the two could be depicted as a rather delicately balanced treaty. And his master, well, let's say, didn't do his best to maintain that balance.

Putting the letter opener on the tray again, Ciel started reading the letter, fully aware of his butler's stares that could almost pierce his head, once done reading he placed the letter back in its envelope and then on his desk... « It's an invitation...to Elena Lionton's engagement party, next week »