The Devil's Bride *Sebastian Love*

Her Butler, Careful Tending

  While the whole episode with Joker and Father played out, back at the manor Ciel stirred in his sleep.
"His fever seems to have gone down."
"He doesn't look so pale and his breathing isn't as ragged as it was yesterday!" acknowledges Alette, optimistically.
"He should be all right." Recognizes Sebastian. "They do say that sleep is man's best medicine. I won't wake him, then." Agni then apologizes to Sebastian, as he already had to Selima. Though Soma's speech about kindness got a much more alarming reaction from her than it did Sebastian. It was during then that Ciel awoke for a small bit, to Alette stroking his hair.
"Did your butler kiss you?" asked a bewildered Ciel, confused by the sudden affection.
"Wha— "She tried to deny it, but once she looked in the mirror and saw a huge lipstick mark on her forehead, she knew she was toast. She would make that butler pay, Sebastian included who hadn't said a word to her about it in all the time he was there. Ciel then hopped out of bed.
"What time is it?"
"Just past seven in the evening." Replied Alette. Meanwhile in the hallway, Selima let out a low titter.
"He told you to be kind as well?" she asked.
"Yes, and to coddle him." Sebastian smiled.
"Oh, I dare you to go coddle him."
"Sebastian! Why didn't you wake me?" called Ciel. Sebastian sighed, and entered the room carrying candles in one hand that lit up the room, and food in the other.
"I judged that as your butler, I ought to put your health first." He smiles kindly and wraps a blanket around Ciel.
"What?"
"Tonight's dinner is a creamy three mushroom risottos, and a pork and wine pot au feu. For pudding we have warm apple compote with yogurt. Now young master..." Alette could tell from the smell hat Selima had cooked this. She was wondering about her own dinner when Sebastian attempted to feed Ciel. "Say ah."
"Wh-what are you playing at?" growled an uncomfortable Ciel.
"Oh, is it too hot? I'll cool it for you." He begins to blow on the ladle. "Goodness gracious what a spoilt child you are." He chuckled. Selima heartily laughs, Ciel is appalled while Alette is just confused.
"You're being revolting and I order you to stop this instant!" commanded Ciel, with a few twitches of fury.
"Prince Soma told me that the ill should be coddled and lavished with kindness. You don't like it, my lord?"
"Spare me the coddling. It makes my skin crawl."
"Why would you listen to that nutty Prince? Their relationship dynamic is much different than yours."
"I suppose you are right. I do apologize, my lord." Alette waited outside for a moment while Sebastian dressed Ciel. She had felt uncomfortable being naked around Selima ever since she hit puberty. The only thing she was assisted with was the lacing of her bodice and sometimes her undergarments. But then a thought crossed her mind; had Ciel gone through puberty yet? He was just thirteen, the typical age... Then the door opened and out strode Ciel, clad in blue that matched his eye.
"Let's get this over with and go back to the manor." When Prince Soma tried to stop them, Ciel just talked his way right through him.
"Ciel! You're trying to leave again, aren't you" he shouted.
"Great, the noisy one..." he whispered to Alette, causing her to snicker.
"You'll ruin your health at this rate!" He argued.
"I hear you stayed up all night nursing me?" cooed Ciel. Alette scoffed, she had as well, where was her gratitude?
"Huh? Yes..."
"Thank you. I'm now as fit as a fiddle, thanks to you." He seemed to take on a new aura, like he was glowing with health like a baby would.
"Oh! Thanks to me?"
"I guess skilled nursing really speeds to recovery!" Alette was about to speak up when Ciel dragged her down the stairs and out the door.
***
"So this is their estate?" Ciel questioned, just as their butlers set them down. "Well, does it smell?"
"Yes, past my lady's perfume, I can sense they're here. Perhaps not all of them, but those that are here seem well." Ciel ascended the stairs one at a time dramatically. Alette was ahead of him in no time. Joker creaked open the door, sending shivers down Alette's spine; she had a bad feeling about this place.
"Welcome to the manor. We've been expecting you, Lord Phantomhive and Lady Vamphina."
"Joker."
"Please, come in." he beckoned. Selima stepped in front of the children and led the way, just in case anything was to happen. He slowly shut the door behind them, immersing them in darkness. After an amazing display of fire and light, the real nature of the manor was revealed. Dolls and parts hung and lay thrown about.
"What is this...?!"
"This way, please." Alette was almost afraid, if she didn't have Selima by her side, she would have run. They knew her true identity now. And they were obviously angry they had betrayed them, not to mention how creepy this place was and the fact that they were kidnappers. But Selima was there, and so long as that was true, nothing vital would happen to her.
"Would you wish us to ambush them and rescue the children now?" asked Selima in Alette's ear.
"No, if we were to do that, it might cause too many unanticipated events, this must be carefully planned. Plus, I doubt we'd be able to find our way out."
"Carefully planned?' You just woke up Lord Phantomhive and ran here, you do not have a plan, my lady."
"It really is true. 'ee can't judge people by appearances. Kids like you? Villainous nobles, Queens Scorpion? Who would have thought?"
"I don't tolerate servants speaking with me so familiarly."
"'ee be a noble all right. Though the lady here is much kinder and tolerable, noble or not. Dinner is ready. Please." Joker seats them, pulling out two chairs for them to sit.
"Here he is." The door swings open, revealing a very deformed man, covered in what must have once been ivory bandages but were now loose, brown with dried blood and encrusted in dirt.
"L-lord Phantomhive! L-lady Vamphina! You came! It's like a dream, having someone of your status so close to me! I'm embarrassed to meet you looking like this..." Lord Kelvin twiddled his thumbs, the rose in his right pocket of his burgundy jacket was overly fragrant.
"You're Lord Kelvin?" inquired Ciel. Alette half expected him to whip out a knife and go after him upon his confirmation.
"Ah! That's right! The formality makes me feel a bit shy...I've prepared a feast for you!" he wheels himself toward the other end of the table. Joker and several other children matching the descriptions of the police report walked in with dull, dead eyes, carrying immaculate, mouthwatering food. Wine was poured, except for Ciel and Alette. Selima would not allow them to drink, much to the irritation of Ciel. "This is an 1875 vintage! Wine form the year you were born! Too overblown, do you think?"
"It appears the police have not grasped the vicinity of how large this really was." Whispers Selima. Kelvin grabs a juicy lobster and cracks it open.
"They seem--."
"Oh I know!"
"A meal without entertainment will bore you, won't it? Joker! Put on your show."
"W-what? B-but--."
"Just do it." He ordered, taking a bite of the vulnerable meat he had exposed.
"Of course."
"Welcome Lord Phantomhive and Lady Vamphina!" welcomed Joker, swinging about his baton. "Tonight we'll take thee to a world of enchanting imagination!" The curtain arises, revealing several children in a rainbow of colors and masks. Kelvin vigorously claps with enjoyment. "First our tightrope walker! No safety net tonight me lovelies! Its bona fide-" He is cut off by a sickening crack from behind him as bone met solid floor and cracked, killing the little girl. As the cadaver is dragged off stage, a steady stream of blood trickles from the open wound in her head. "Next our lion tamer!" His voice wavers with reluctance. "Watch as he masters the savage beast!" Alette was horrified, she did not want to watch children meet their ends over lobster. She knew all too well the lion would maul the boy before it happened. The red separator was removed and the lion pounced, sinking its jaws and pointy teeth into his flesh. Kelvins laughs and claps were appalling, and only getting louder. "And now, our knife thrower. What will become of this maiden on the cross?!"
"Someone...please...anyone. Stop this..." mumbled Alette. Selima's eyes widened. It was the words she was screaming when she was summoned. She moved before Ciel ordered Sebastian, before Sebastian so much as twitched, before Alette and Joker had uncovered their eyes to see the knife between her teeth, as a Spanish dancer would do so with a rose.
"You're the Cornwall girl, aren't you?" she asked, removing the mask to get a hint at her real expression. She could sense the girl's heartbeat, it was racing.
"S-sorry! You didn't like this either? Joker! Clean this up at once!"
"I'm done here." Snapped Ciel. He saw the way Alette had flinched, shed a tear. He would pay for that. He hadn't known her long, but seeing people like that, in a vulnerable state made him uncomfortable. "I'm not in the habit of sharing the table with riff raff lower than farm animals."
"W-what? What's wrong?!" Ciel took on a dark aura, as if he were a demon about to feast.
"This will do for my report to the queen: I found the vulgar, unsightly, foul, perverted brute, and I disposed of him." Alette jumped up so the chair fell. Ciel pulled out his gun, cocked it and put his finger to the trigger, aiming it at Kelvin, while Joker rushed to his aid, Sebastian placed a knife to his throat, threatening him.
"M-my lord? Joker! Don't point that dangerous thing at the earl!"
"But— "
"You dare disobey me?" Meanwhile, Selima gathered the children. She removed their circus outfits and restraints. Sebastian smirked and pressed the knife a little harder into the mans throat.
"Lord Kelvin, where are the children you kidnapped?" inquired Ciel, as Joker dropped his sword.
"Hmm? Oh! You wanted to meet them? They're in the cellar—I'll take you there right now. There's something down there I wanted to show you anyhow." There was a special; gleam in his eye, something dangerous, they could tell. But what could happen when their butlers were with them? "It's like a dream, getting to chat with you like this!" They descended into darkness.
"Save your breath and take me to the children." Knife still pressed to Joker's throat and gun still aimed at Kelvins head, they descended into the darkness of the cellar.
"R-right, sorry. But I'm just so happy...I've been filled with regret ever since that day. I keep thinking "Why couldn't I be by your side then?"
"That day?" "By my side?" What are you on about?"
"No amount of regret can turn back time." What loomed beyond the door, Alette will never forget. It enticed her, scared her, but most of all scarred her. "But I realized something:" The children pushed open the door." If we can't go back, we can just do it again! Here, look! I'm afraid it took me three years to get ready. Everything came at him at once, the flood of memories rendering him helpless. He began to violently tremble, had to toe, affecting even his walking stick. The children looked dead on the inside, as he had been. What had he done to these poor souls? In his memory, the gleaming brown table was stained crimson, splatters of it everywhere. There was a man with a sharp knife raised, a piercing white hot poker that seared his skin. His screams reverberated throughout the tainted room, he tasted metal. He was in a cage, reaching for someone, anyone...
"Now Lord Phantomhive, let's repeat that day three years ago!"