The Devil's Bride *Sebastian Love*

Her Butler, Grieving

"I said stop it! Touching me with those indecent hands! I can't stand it anymore!" cried Irene, backing away, her mauve dress bunched in her hands.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Apologized Georg, red faced. Patrick stood in between them, looking awfully awkward. "But when you're dressed like that." He went in for a hug.
"Somebody stop Lord Siemens!" whimpered Patrick. Irene's hand made contact with Georg's scruffy face, the echo could be heard around the ballroom as all eyes were on them.
"Insolent lecher! You should be ashamed!"
"Sir, let's escort you to your room for the night. Yes?" intervened Selima. And as the man saw Selima, he went in for a fondle. And as he went in for a fondle, Sebastian almost lost his shit. He swooped in, throwing himself in front of her to block the man's hands. So instead, he squeezed Sebastian's chest, which happened to be very uncomfortable.
"Mr. Siemens, please be decent, this is a banquet, people are here to enjoy themselves, not to be groped." Carelessly interjects Alette.
"You conniving old man! Don't you dare touch my woman!" Grimsby yelled, throwing a wine bottle at full speed toward Lord Siemens. Alette could feel her reputation slipping away; the queens relative getting hit with a champagne bottle at her ball? Then, Selima flipped over Sebastian, yanking the bottle out of the air and landing just in front of her beloved. Still in wedges, she runs over to, as the man flinches and everyone gasps, to the stool, hops up, and pops the bottle open. She pours the sparking liquid into the spotless cups, and it drizzles down smoothly.
"This is a fantastic wine from the village pf Bvlgari in southeastern Moldavia." Explains Sebastian. "I do hope you all enjoy it."
"How elegant I didn't even notice this structure! And this fragrance! It's like I'm in a field of wildflowers!"
"It smells goood! Will you give me a glass?" asked Charles Grey, approaching the structure with a smile.
"Me too."
"And me." After everyone is watered, Sebastian pulls Selima aside and examines her.
"He didn't lay a hand on you, did he?" asked Sebastian, interlocking their fingers.
"No, you made sure of that." She giggles, pressing her lips to his cheek, leaving a bit of a mark. He smirks. He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling their bodies close together.
"Do you think the party would be okay without us?" whispered Selima in his ear, her ear minty breath, making his entire body stiff.
"I'm sure our young masters would suffice without us...for an hour. Or two."
"Oh, you plan to take that long?" she grins.
"I plan to do a lot of things with you tonight."
"Honestly that man seems so austere, but this is how he behaves after a couple of drinks?"
"That's nothing. You should see Selima when she drinks enough."
"Demons can get drunk?"
"I didn't know that either until she started drinking. She says it's because I stress her out."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Snapped Selima, slightly slurring. She blushes as she realized.
"How much have you had tonight?"
"Enough to get ay normal human drunk." She muttered, sipping on a glass. Sebastian gives her a look of endearment. She crosses her arms over her chest.
"You don't know what it's like to deal with a teenage girl!"
"Whatever." Droned Ciel. "From the looks of it." Everyone glances over to see Lord Siemens holding onto Ran-Mao and Mey-Rin, Mey-Rin looked very reluctant and disturbed. "I'd say he's a repeat offender." It was then the author, named Author, picked up their conversation, at least noticing it's in French.
"Il est très insolent, s'il la touche à nouveau i willl retiens pas."[1]
"Je comprends, mais ne fais pas une scène."[2] Advised Alette.
"A en juger par son manque complet d'auto-discipline, il est eitther un imbécile complet ou parfaitement impudique."[3] Added a scornful Sebastian
"Je dirais qu'il souffre d'une condition qu'aucun médecin ne pouvait espérer guérir."[4] Alette had grown up in France, for the first five years of her life she lived in Paris. Selima and Sebastian were fluent in many languages. French was one of many languages Ciel had been force to learn by Sebastian.
* * *
The party was starting to settle down, after Lord Siemens fell asleep.
"Selima, escort Mr. Siemens to his room."
"Perhaps I should do it." suggests Sebastian. But as he turns around he is awestruck to see she has already hoisted the large sleeping man over her shoulder and was walking up the stairs as everyone stared. Sebastian follows her up the back stairway, hoping he would not be missed. He catches her after she lays the man on the bed and exits the room. She doesn't even jump when he places a cold hand over her mouth. She notices he's ungloved his hand as well, so she licks his hand. He pulls away, so she can speak.
"I knew it was you. You're not slick." She whispers, so not to wake Lord Siemens. Before she knows it, she is pinned to the wall, him staring down at her lovingly. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a box, and for a moment she thinks he is unbuckling his pants. He removes the silver box from his pants pocket and pops it open for her. She grins, for even in the dark the glow of the red gem could not be stifled. Her eyes glow the same shade of ruby.
"I thought it would suit you." He whispers in her ear. He smirks a bit as he slips the ring onto her index finger. Her lips crash onto his, and for a moment he is taken aback. Her lips told him what words could not. She was immensely pleased. He places his hands on either side of her head, and kisses back until she licks his lips, gaining entry almost immediately. She licks around his wet cavern, running her hands up underneath his tailcoat, only the thin cloth of his white button up shirt separating her hands from skin. They separate, both panting, he rubs the soft sensitive skin of her inner thigh. She groans as he grinds against her. She trials kisses down his jaw to his neck, sucking lightly. She is just about done leaving a love bite when Ciel and Alette appear.
"Sebastian that's a revolting display."
"Selima, be decent for once!"
"Why are you even up here?" sighed Selima, smoothing out her dress, clearly irritated.
"We're children. It's time for bed." Explained Ciel.
"You're only a child when it's convenient." Adds Sebastian.
"Shut up." Mutters Ciel. Sebastian leans in toward Selima and kisses her with passion one last time.
"Don't forget me."
* * *
That night Selima and Sebastian, along with the rest of the servants sat in the kitchen preparing for tomorrows feast as well. Alette had ordered Selima to take the leftovers and make pierogis out of them, a popular Polish dish that was spreading everywhere. It had been about five hours of long work, but they were almost done. Sebastian was frying them now, he refused to let Selima do it because he knew the burns that could be caused by the splashing oil. They were both covered in flour, even their hair looked as if they'd aged a few decades, because of a flour fight Selima had started.
"Ohh now I'll never get married!" whined Mey-Rin
"You'll be fine. A woman can have as many partners as she wishes." Advised Selima, boiling the dough. Both Sebastian and Selima had their sleeves rolled up, Selima's covenant mark was visible. Everything was peaceful until a bell rang.
"It's Lord Siemens room!"
"He probably woke up and wants some water." Reasons Bardroy.
"I'll go." Decides Selima, hopping off the counter,
"No I'll go."
"You can come with me." And so they walk up the stairs and through the hallway,, hand in hand as the servants follow behind.
"Lord Siemens, you called?" A glass shatters on the other side of the door.
"Lord Siemens what's wrong?" called Mey-Rin, wriggling the door knob
"What's wrong?"
"What's all this noise about?"
"Great, now everyone is here." Sighed Selima. Sebastian give her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll kick it down." He kicks it down with ease, but Selima can tell he is holding back. What they find, shocks everyone. Lord Siemens lays there, motionless. Rain pelts the roof and slides down the window. Lightening illuminates the room. Some of the women scream, but none have a higher pitched scream than Patrick Phelps.
"He's dead." Pronounces Arthur, the writer.
"Oh, we are so fucked." Whispered Selima, realizing how pissed her master would be.
It was around that time Alette walked into a sleeping Ciel's room. She yanked the covers of the peacefully sleeping boy, causing him to fall out of bed.
"Sebas-! What are you doing in here?" inquired Ciel, searching for his eyepatch.
"Lord Siemens Is dead."
"What are you on about?"
"Didn't you hear? We are so screwed, Ciel. The queen's relative died under our watch!"
"Oh young master, you're awake." Greeted Sebastian, he got on his knee and bowed.
"My lady, we may have done messed up." Confesses Selima.
"I know." He sighed.
"What the hell is going on?!" asked an agitated Ciel. He hated not knowing things.
"I told you, Lord Siemens is dead." Ciel strode toward the scene of the crime and Is taken aback by what he finds.
"I'm pretty sure this chest wound is the cause of death." Proclaims Arthur
"At a-any rate, we ought not to move anything until the Yard arrives."
"But this room's pretty hot, isn't it? I heated all the rooms in advance, but...I suppose he might have been cold. I hate to say it like this, but at this rate, he'll decay in no time. Even if we put the fire out, he won't last long next to this hearth." informed Bardroy.
"Decay?" asked Irene.
"I think we should keep him someplace cool until a specialist arrives to examine the body."
"Well then we'll move him to the cellar until the Yard arrives." Decides Arthur.
"Finny, Tanaka." Commands Sebastian. After a while, the body is transported without much hassle and everyone gathers around in the drawing room.
"But, I doubt the yard will come for quite a while." Realizes Lau. "I mean, look at this storm. This area is completely inaccessible right now."
"There's also a good chance the culprit is still in the manor."
"And hey, if you think about it logically, wouldn't one of us be the culprit?" inquired Charles Grey.
"Why us? Don't be ridiculous." Questioned Grimsby.
"In the first place, most of us have just met."
"When we arrived at this door, wasn't it locked?" wondered Irene.
"Yeah, that's right." Remembered Mey-Rin.
"Doesn't that mean someone came in through the window, locked the door to buy some time, then escaped back out the same way?" asked Irene
"But in this storm, wouldn't you leave footprints if you were outside? The window's locked, too." Recognized Charles Grey.
"So they must have locked the door from the hallway before escaping?"
"That's unfeasible." Declared Selima. "No keys have been passed out to any of the guests. Instead, you may lock it from the inside using this latch. From the way its broken, it seems flagrant that the door was locked before Sebastian kicked it down."
"In other words, you mean we have a locked room murder?!"
"Don't be ridiculous. This isn't some penny dreadful. "
"Much too much drama. Sounds like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe book." Sighed Alette, stretching. Ciel's eyes suddenly widened.
"The thread and needle trick! First you anchor the latch by jamming a threaded needle in its side, then you run the thread under the door and step outside. After that, all you have to do is carefully extract the needle and thread." Ciel realizes everyone is staring at him. "It's a cliché trick in mystery novels." He adds. "It's the only feasible deception."
"I see, you could definitely seal the room like that, but..."
"But doesn't that mean anyone could be the culprit?" asked Arthur
"It wasn't us!" defended Grimsby. "It was one of the others."
"It wasn't me either!" professed Carl. "You're the most suspicious one here. You were arguing at the banquet!"
"Stop it with the bogus accusations old man!" boomed Grimsby. "Who would kill someone over that?" Selima and Sebastian exchange looks.
"Now now you two. Why don't we just clam down and check everybody's alibis?" suggested Lau. "The Lord was killed after retiring to his room. To be precise, the murder occurred after he rang the servants bell, but before the staff reached his room. You need an alibi for that time window."
"Irene and I were in the billiard room." Started Grimsby.
"That's right." Confirmed Irene.
"I was there too."
"So was i."
"And Mr. Phelps. None of us left."
"What were you two doing?" asked Alette
"We were drinking in the lounge with Mr. Woodley." Answered Lau, petting his beau. "Right, Ran-Mao?"
"Yeah, we were together until the disturbance." Sanctions Carl.
"We were all cleaning up after the banquet!" blurts out Mey-Rin.
"Which means, I hope you'll both pardon the implication, but what were you two doing at the time?"
"I was writing in my room." Replied Alette.
"And I was sleeping in my room."
"Can you both prove that?" Alette and Ciel exchange a look of concern.
"Well...no..."
"Then for now, that makes you the prime suspect."
* * *
"Ugh this has become troublesome." Groans Ciel "You have my apologies Professor." Meanwhile, in the other room, Alette sat on her side of the bed, while Irene lay on the other. "I suppose all this needless suspicion has caused you quite the inconvenience." Continued Ciel to Arthur.
"No not at all!"
The storm raged on, Alette lay in bed, now tossing and turning. Selima was in the kitchen, lit by only a few candles. Usually they would have romantic talks at night, even indulge in human things such as sleeping in each other's arms or feeding each other, even though it was not necessary. She waited for him to return for a long while. Until eventually she rested her head don her arms, and dozed off.

That morning, everyone knew something was wrong. Selima woke up in a cold sweat, stomach churn, she felt like she'd been doused with holy water. Where was her love? She ran to where all the noise was coming from.
"Oh god no, it's too soon!" cried Alette, hearing her butlers heels. "Selima, please don't look." But it was too late. What she saw, could never be erased form her memory. It had become a stain. She saw the man she loved, douse din his own blood, unmoving, unbreathing, still.

[1] He is very insolent, if he touches her again, I will not hold back.[2] I understand, but do not make a scene.[3] Judging by his complete lack of self-discipline, he's eitther a complete fool or perfectly shameless[4] I'd say he's suffering from a condition no doctor could hope to cure