The large group that made up both nobles and servents filed into the now crowded ballroom. Sebastian and Maria received many smiles and nods as they walked past people, which they returned graciously.
Maria became steadily nervous as she walked past people and heard a few whispers from the crowd as they saw her arm linked with Sebastians. It was not embarrassing herself that she worried about, but Sebastian himself. One wrong move could embarrass him and leave his guests questioning his mating choice... And what if that made him question it himself?
She gripped his arm harder, almost afraid that if she were to let go, she would lose him forever.
Sebastian looked down at her and saw the inner battle just by seeing the look in her now electric blue eyes. He had watched her long enough through their years apart to know electric blue meant she was worried.
He placed his gloved hand atop hers and gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Maria looked from their hands up to him. She smiled warmly and her eyes changed from electric to that impossible blue that was rarely seen except for a fleeting second when the sun peeks into the horizon.
That simple yet extraordinary change in her eye color meant a single thing. Love.
They both smiled to their better halves before she snuggled against his arm and they continued walking.
**************
The Phantomhive group stayed in the back, seemingly becoming wallflowers in the process.
"Look at Maria. Soaking up the attention like she has every right to," Clair said to Damien as they stood a ways away from the group. "That little freak is going to get what is coming to her." Had she known that many supernatural creatures could hear her as if she were screaming it to the whole room, she would have kept her mouth shut. It was was when Damien did not respond to her when she realized his attention was fully to Maria, not her. That was when her plan fully clicked in her head. "Damien?"
"What?" Damien asked, his attention being pulled back to his fiancé.
"After the first dance, why do you not go and ask Maria for a dance?" Clair asked in an innocent voice.
"Really? You would not mind?" Damien asked, confused at her sudden generosity.
"Of course not! We are all long time friends, after all. Who would I be to deny two friends the chance to dance together before she is wedded to the man she loves?" Clair asked with her voice innocent but her eyes mischievous.
"Thank you, Clair," Damien said, planting a quick kiss to her lips.
Clair wanted more than a peck, but she knew she would receive none. Even after they were engaged and their secrete relationship was made public to all, Damien had not so much as given her a proper kiss. However, she brushed it away and pushed it to the back burner, for now. Soon enough, in her mind, Maria would get what was coming to her.
*****************
A frown was evident to Sebastians face as he listened to the conversation that took place between Clair and Damien. Maria would have heard the conversation, but she was too focused from entertaining their guests, as a hostess should be. Not to mention the noise level and chatter from the party made it difficult for her keen ears to make any single conversation distinctive.
"What is the matter?" Maria asked Sebastian, relocking her arm with his as they had earlier.
This simple action from Maria's part calmed down the rage building inside Sebastian. For now, at least, the beast dwelling within him was made tame.
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Traded to the Archbishop of Hell (Black Butler Fanfic)
FanfictionIt's been 14 years since Ciel Phantomhive sold his soul to Sebastian so he could take revenge on those that killed his parents. Revenge has been exacted and Ciel is content with himself. However, he always ponders why Sebastian did not take his soul...
