Misfortune

Invitations

"My Lord," Sebastian politely called from the doorway of Ciel's study.

"Yes, what is it?" The Earl responded.

"You have received a message from Her Majesty," Sebastian explained.

"Is it a case?" Ciel asked as his butler walked towards his desk.

"I believe it is a personal request," the butler answered.

Ciel took the envelope from his butler's open palm and proceeded to read is aloud.

"Earl Phantomhive, in two days time, a political friend of mine named Georg von Siemens will be arriving in England. I want you to host a dinner party at your manor. I want you to surround him with guests that will make him feel unwelcome. Do not question my motives, but keep a close watch on him, report everything that he does back to me after it ends. Do not be surprised if my personal butlers pay you a visit. It is my way to keep track of you after that circus catastrophe. Best wishes, Her Majesty Queen Victoria."

Ciel tossed the message onto his desk and leaned back in his chair while running his hand through his hair. This was not good. After Ciel and Sebastian burned what was left of Ciel's past. He had disobeyed the Queen's orders. In his report he had lied, but she found out. Like always. If the dinner party doesn't go as the Queen wants, Ciel feared that he may lose his status as the Queen's Guard Dog, therefore ruining his reputation.

"Sebastian," Ciel said commanding the butler's attention.

"Yes, My Lord?" he answered bowing slightly.

"I am going to write up a list of guests, and personally send them invitations. We have a limited amount of time, so as soon as am finished with them, it is your number one priority to make sure that they reach their intended destination. After that, I want you to make the manor look as presentable as possible for the party. Take alcohol requests and make sure to have that both in the dining area and the guests rooms. For the dinner itself, be sure to have a wide array of food from different cultures and have it set out in stations. That should prompt the most mingling and conversation," Ciel ordered. "Did you get all that?"

"Yes, I got it all, remember who you are talking to My Lord," Sebastian quipped.

"Don't mock me I'm stressed," Ciel warned. "Now go, begin the preparations I'll call for you when I've finished the invitations."

"As you wish, My Lord," Sebastian said as he left the room.

"Wait, Sebastian," the Earl called.

"Yes?" he answered stepping back into the room.

"Make sure that the other servants understand that they need to be on their best behavior for the guests. I don't want anything embarrassing to happen," Ciel added.

"Consider it done," Sebastian confirmed.

Sebastian was on his way down to the kitchens when the sound of gun fire killed the peaceful atmosphere of the manor.

"Always when I'm busy," Sebastian muttered rolling his eyes.

He picked up his pace and just before he stopped the violence in the kitchen, picked up a pastry platter and stuck it in front of a sword. The man to which the sword belonged, was a young, average height man with long white hair.

"You should try one of our cream puffs. The cream comes from the Phantomhive cow, kept here on the estate," Sebastian smiled, trying to relieve some of the tension.

The man withdrew his sword from the pastry tray along with a cream puff. He took a bite then presented it to another man who was most likely his partner.

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis,the Phantomhive butler. The people who you were previously fighting, are Mey-Rin, the maid, and Baldroy, the chef," Sebastian introduced, inflating Baldroy's ego. "Who are you two and why are you trespassing on Phantomhive property?"

The room was silent for a moment until the man with the sword answered.

"I am Charles Grey and this is Charles Phipps. We are known as the double Charles'. We would like to meet with your master," he spoke.

"Well he's not in the kitchens now is he?" Sebastian sassed. "Please, follow me to his study."

The Double Charles' followed Sebastian out of the kitchen. Just before Grey stepped out the door into the corridor, he extended his sword arm and whipped the cream puff across the room and landed it on Baldroy's face.

When they reached Ciel's study, Sebastian lightly knocked on the door.

"Proceed," Ciel called from inside.

"My Lord, Charles Phipps and Charles Grey are here to speak with you," Sebastian told him.

"Why?" Ciel breathed, only just audible. "I'm busy."

"Dear me, Earl Phantomhive," Grey tutted. "You don't want to turn away the personal butlers of Her Majesty do you. I do believe you got notice that we were coming."

Ciel looked up from his paper and reluctantly set down his pen.

"Please, sit," Ciel invited. "Sebastian will you prepare our guests and I some tea please?"

"As you wish, Master," Sebastian said.

"What would you like to speak about?" Ciel asked faining interest.

"Long story short, Queen Victoria doesn't trust you at the moment. She wishes to keep you as her guard dog but needs to test your loyalty," Grey explained.

"That does not explain why you two are sitting in my study after attacking my servants," Ciel retorted.

"That is true, but they did attack us first," Grey defended.

"Then they were doing their jobs. Now, why are you here?" Ciel questioned.

"We are here to inform you that one of us will be accompanying Heir von Siemens at the party, so you'll have to prepare for an extra guest," Phipps spoke up.

"That's it?" Ciel asked.

The Double Charles' nodded.

"You mean to tell be that you came all the way out here and waste my time to tell me that you're coming to the dinner party?! If you'd be so kind as to GET OUT, I have work to do," Ciel demanded.

"See you soon," Grey called as he left the study.

Ciel leaned back in his chair whilst running his hand through his hair. His knee bounced as he thought of the Queen's distrust of him. If this party does not go as the Queen hopes, then Ciel feared this would be the end of the Phantomhive men being Earl's.

"Master?" Sebastian said tentatively.

"Hmm?" Ciel hummed in responded.

"Are you alright?" he added.

"Yes, I'm fine," Ciel answered snapping out of his trance. "Proceed with your duties as planned but add another guest to your list."

"As you wish, My Lord," Sebastian affirmed bowing with one hand over heart.

"You're such a hopeless romantic," Ciel commented.

Sebastian simply smiled and left the Earl to his work.