The Dawn Breaking Over Our Horizon

Untitled Part 18 (unedited)

I have been up for hours silently practicing with my kodachi by the time morning finally streams through the windows. The fury burning in my heart sets my blood racing and gives me enough energy in the morning to replace my usual cup of coffee despite having spent a great deal of energy already. Who does that butler think he is? Accosting me in his master's home and leading me around in some sort of sick game without explaining a damn thing. I will get my answers now or I will leave immediately, I do not have the time or will to indulge Sebastian's morbid interest in me.

As the sunlight filters in through the window, bathing the bedroom in an orange glow, I enter the attached bathroom to freshen up and dress for the day. The sound of Akatsuki being sheathed in its scabbard rings softly in the quiet dawn air and I gently place the blade beside the washbasin. The water leaves goosebumps in its wake as I run the soft cloth over my body, washing as much of my body as I can without fully submerging myself in a bat.

The light shift I'm wearing as a night gown was left in the closet for me to change into at the end of the night yesterday ended up being a good dress to practice in as a replacement for my usual attire. Especially when my own clothes seem to have disappeared in the middle of the night and been replaced with someone else's. Even the blue gown I had worn for the ball was gone. My fury only burns hotter at the thought of Sebastian sneaking into my room silently and doing whatever he wanted to me in the four hours I actually slept.

Much to my chagrin, I cannot possibly see anyone in only my shift so I am forced to adorn the lavender blouse with vertical ruffles, black walking skirt, and matching dark purple velvet belt and ascot. My barely contained anger only grows when I realize how much I like this outfit and I storm out of my room with as much grace and dignity I can muster with how mad I am. Never has a servant of any house completely disregarded my wishes so completely when it came to my private rooms. With each passing moment my anger grows more and more, to the point where I feel close to bursting as I descend the stairs. At the bottom of the steps I force myself to work through the breathing pattern of one of the martial arts routines I am currently working on perfecting to calm my racing thoughts.

A quiet moment passes, and I finally feel like I can think clearly once again. I take one last deep breath before making my way to the dining room for breakfast with Ciel... and Sebastian. As I enter the plain, well plain for an aristocrats second home, dining room I school my features into a look of content laziness and take my seat to the left of the young boy already waiting at the head of the table. "Good morning Ciel. How was the rest of the evening?"

Ceil raises his hand dismissively as Sebastian gently pulls out the chair for me, waits for me to sit, and pushes it back to the table before moving to do the same for his master, "The yard arrived soon after you went off with the Viscount and arrested him and many other aristocrats. We left once they arrived," I nod solemnly, pointedly ignoring Sebastian as he goes about setting out breakfast, "Sebastian told me about your suspicions once we parted with Lau and Madame Red."

I look up from my cup of green tea with a raised eyebrow, waiting for the young boys response, "It seems as though you were right my lady." Sebastian appears out of thin air beside me with a serving tray loaded with all the staples of a traditional Japanese breakfast, and the daily paper with a screaming headline, Jack the Ripper Strikes Again!

Again, I ignore Sebastian and speak directly with Ciel, "Then it is certain Alester Chambers is not Jack. We were with him practically all night. This brings us back to square one doesn't it?"

The taste of delicate salmon, rice and pickled plum, followed by a warm miso soup helps soothe the rest of the fury in my soul. Even the lack of chop sticks and properly brewed green tea can be overlooked in the wake of the delicious meal. Not even the grim discussion tampers with my improving mood, "It certainly brings my investigation to the beginning; however, you will no longer be involved. I never wished to bring you into this, and your involvement gave us nothing in the end. I thank you for your assistance, however futile it was, but I wish you would forget about this and move on."