~The Queen's Butler...Arrogant~ (Charles Grey x Reader)

Chapter 4: The she-butler, a killer

TRIGGER WARNING!!!: Mentions of sexual assault in this chapter. 

(Y/n)'s POV

My recovery came as a rather swift one, luckily enough for myself and my fellow butlers considering that we had business in town the day I had become healthy again, and it would be rather inconvenient to take care of without my presence - why, you ask? That information will come later on in this chapter, but for now, I'll set the scene.

The morning was frosty, and the chill had a slight bite to it, the cold only being part of the reason I was out of uniform for the day. I stood outside, by the very bottom steps of the palace where a horse drawn carriage stood patiently, awaiting Phipps and Grey since Grey had a lot more breakfast than it was convenient and of course Phipps was the one who had to clean up after him. There was a light mist surrounding me, and there was not a single fragment of blue in the sky that hung above me, only grey clouds that looked as though they were holding but the smallest bit of rain. I rubbed the sides of my arms, brushing the pastel blue ruffles that hung over my shoulders since the layers I had on weren't sufficient for the weather I was to travel in.

(Here's the cute lil outfit you get to wear! ^-^)

The cold wasn't the most significant reasoning for my change in outfit. The initial idea was that I'd be less identifiable as one of the Queen's butler's, as was it for the two men that I'd be accompanying on the trip. I spent the morning braiding Grey's long locks of hair that peaked out from underneath his otherwise short and unruly silver hair, which I ended up brushing and pinning back with much difficulty since he carried on like a child when I did something he didn't like. It was painful for both of us, but it was done in succession, and that's all that mattered.

At the sound of the palace doors bursting open, I spun around in my position, coming to find that it was the very man I was thinking about that made himself the source of the loud noise. He wore an outfit that had been specially tailored a while ago specifically for this mission, one that wouldn't shout the Queen's butler. It was an outfit common among young nobility, a white dress shirt, navy blue vest, a lacy blue coat and black dress pants. To finish the look, a pair of faux, wire-framed spectacles that did nothing but attempt to conceal his identity, since being the earl of such a prestigious family would no doubt make him much more recognizable by the public eye. He seemed excited, which I didn't doubt since it had been a while since our last city trip considering we'd spent our last weekend visiting his estate, which honestly was one of the most painful experiences I've ever had the displeasure of having.

Grey rushed down the stairs and met me at my side, an excited smile peaking his lips as he straightened his clothing and posture.
"Someone's excited," I said, my lips turning down into an amused smile as the boy nodded eagerly.
"It's been such a long while since I last saw the likes of the city, and you know what the city is best for?" Before I could answer, he seemed to melt into his own thoughts as he slouched and stared dreamily at nothing, "food..."
"Food made by commoners that probably don't know what soap is," I added, snapping Grey out of his thoughts as he gave me a sour look.
"You have unrealistically low expectations (N/n). They're commoners, not peasants. Commoners could afford the rights to soap a long time ago, didn't you study history?" He asked, myself shrugging as I crossed my arms.
"Learning about other people's mistakes never really touched on my interests. I was more for literature, William Shakespeare was always a favorite of mine in the area," I sighed, rubbing my arms once more.
"Literature? Yuck. I always preferred my fencing studies. Why read when you can play with swords instead?" He asked with a mischievous smirk, myself rolling my eyes as they wondered to his hair.