A Young God (P h a n t o m h i v e) [Kuroshitsuji 4]

Chapter XI: The Oldest Story

I'm the king and you're the queen and we will stumble through heaven.

I do have to admit -- contrary to what I believed a secretive master-servant relationship would be, Ciel Phantomhive wasn't just obsessed with sexual release. It would be forgivable to be under the impression that most lords striking up a relationship with the help are only seeking to relieve the... frustrations that they cannot with their wives, but this was different. As time went on, it slowly seemed to me that we were becoming... equals, once more (In addition to this, he now gave me all of my orders in French, knowing that it had... an effect like no other). He decided that he wanted to teach me how to play chess, and found my eye for detail (a servant's skill) useful when he was filling out budgeting and shipping information. It was particularly hard for Ciel to focus on the tiny numbers buried in endless columns, due to his flawed depth perception; Sebastian usually had them all completed in moments, but my master claimed that he preferred my presence and smaller handwriting. Of course that was the reason.

Even though most may not have considered such a relationship beneficial, I truly believed that I had begun to discover myself; how my body worked, how my mind functioned. I had become more self aware. And with this increased awareness was an increased sense of guilt as I worked beside his wife.

Elizabeth Midford. That was her maiden name, and that was how I had started to see her – accidentally. I meant no disrespect, but the more I studied her with her husband, and the more time that I spent with Ciel myself, the more I understood that the match between them was seriously, seriously flawed. However, this was something that neither of them seemed to want to confront at all.

Especially not her. She truly believed that she was deeply in love with her husband; and perhaps she was. The degree to which Elizabeth cared for Ciel was completely clear, just from speaking to her; and this care was truly destroying me with guilt.

She had beautiful hair. I reflected on this every night, when my job was to pull the pins from her locks, and gently comb through the ringlets with a heavy-handled brush – whalebone, I think it was. Elizabeth looked wonderful both all dressed up in her finery and make up, and just before bed, barefaced and wrapped up in nothing but a silk dressing gown and cotton slip. She was, naturally, beautiful.

"I believe I'm going to visit my brother in the coming days, and I would be deeply grateful if you could come with me," Elizabeth said softly one evening, while I was preparing her for bed. I had found myself idly imagining what it would be like to lie in the bedroom next door with Ciel – most likely distracting, due to the copious amount of pink bows and silk that dressed the walls and furniture.

"I am afraid that I am a terrible train passenger -- Your brother, my Lady? I wasn't aware you had any siblings," I replied, startled by the sudden revelation; the mistress had never deigned to speak about her family before.

"A pity! I shall have to request Sebastian, perhaps... Yes. Edward. Beloved Edward." She smiled at herself in the mirror as she thought of this mysterious man. "He is on the market, you know. Perhaps I could introduce you to your Mister Rochester, after all."

I almost gasped, but was able to prevent myself from losing complete control. "I... do not know if that would be... particularly acceptable, ma'am."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! Plenty of noblemen have married servants." She laughed at that, then, the sound like a handful of delicate bells chiming in a light wind. "However, if a woman like myself were to do the very same thing, chances are there would be... backlash."

An odd sensation began to wash over me; what it was, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But I had never seen an... awareness like this in her before. I had not caught her dwelling on anything past fashion or romance stories.