AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Welcome to my first Kuroshitsuji fanfiction! This is Elizabeth-centric, with elements of Cielizzy, Sebaciel, and Sebalizzy, with an end goal of Sebaciel. Also, characters will act and think sometimes slightly, sometimes majorly different than they act in canon, as the circumstances and event that have befallen them are sometimes barely, and in other cases extremely different.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything.
SUMMARY: Imagine what life would be like if it was not Ciel who was kidnapped on that night, but Elizabeth Midford. Seven years later, this is their story.

"We'll see Ciel today." the young girl said in a monotone.

"Indeed we shall." answered a silky smooth voice. "Are you looking forward to it?"

"What a silly question to ask."

"Pardon me, my Lady." the young girl made a noncommittal noise, a small, high-pitched hm! that came across as awfully indignant for such a small sound.

She scrunched her fists, gripping the satin material of her emerald green dress. Was she looking forward to see Ciel, her fiancé? She used to see him often, before, but her visits had become rarer and rarer. She closed her eyes, and remembered. She remembered playing games together, having tea parties with Aunt Angelina. Those moments seemed so far away, however- untouchable, frozen. Unbidden, a dark cloud entered her mind, washing over the happy memories. Like sweet cake rotting, thoughts of that month, the month that had sent those happy memories away forever, slowly but steadily consumed her.

She could feel the grime sticking to her body, her dress in tatters. The feeling of being trapped in a cage, the desperation, the darkness. A warm light emerged glowing softly. A gentle embrace, tears falling onto her cheeks. Were they hers? No, she thought as she stared into the still hardened eyes of her brother. Hard like glass set to break. They pried her away from him, the cold and clammy hands. Monsters dragging her from the single light in the all consuming black. Gently placed on a slab of rock. Why so gentle? But it was only a farce, as the masked monster brandished his rotten dagger. No! two voices screamed, the waves reverberating off the dark walls, into the stiff air, then back again, and back again. The sound slipped off gradually, until the echo ceased and silence rang clear. Then, it came. A pressing heaviness, a fog descending. A black, blacker than the deepest black, curled around the altar. What has been sacrificed will never be returned. The voice came through water, muffled and dull, but the power was still there, emanating through her bones. Seal? The blood still dripped from her wound, and shaking like a leaf, she brought her white fingers to the red blood. Here, she mouthed. With a last breath, a darkness covered her, turning everything black. She screamed unknowingly, the pain blinding, as those talons dug into her. The skin around them felt like fire, worse than her brand, worse than any other pain besides her despair. She felt an invisible connection handcuffing her to the darkness above. Its pink eyes glowed for a final time before settling into the colour of dried blood. She gasped, drinking in the stale air. She stared into those blood eyes as gentle sobs resounded…

"My lady, we have arrived." Elizabeth Midford gasped, eyes wildly darting back and forth. The cage, the people, the blackness were all gone. A large hand rested above hers. "You seem to have been dreaming." those eyes again stared into hers, and she involuntarily jerked back, panting. She gripped her hand to her waist, directly under her left breast, where she had been stabbed seven years ago, and where the contract remained today. She stared at the spot, buried under so many layers, knowing what lay underneath. "My Lady?" the voice jolted her back, once again, to reality. She straightened, lifted her head back up, and stared into the eyes of her demon.

"It's nothing, Sebastian. I was merely having a bad dream." Or perhaps the dream had never ended.

He nodded and smiled before slipping out of the carriage, coming around to escort me out. Elizabeth stared up at the magnificent mansion. Even though it was not as grand as her own home, the mansion held a lot of weight for her.

"Perhaps Aunt and Uncle will be home." she commented, voice airy and nonchalant.

"Perhaps. It's been almost two years since you last visited, correct?"

"You would know better than I." she paused. "I wonder if Ciel's grown."

Ciel had grown. Oh my, he had grown. Once he had been a mere 5'4", but now he was almost 5'8". He had finally become taller than Elizabeth, who still remained at 5'4". It wasn't simply height that changed him, though. His entire body had changed. Gone was the baby fat, and in it's place were defined muscles. They weren't bulging, not at all, but it was obvious that they were there. His jaw had become more defined, and he had become somewhat broader, while still retaining his slim form. He simply looked older, as if he had shed all visible traces of his childhood. However, his bright smile still remained.

"Lizzy! It's great to see you again!" His voice had deepened as well. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Elizabeth made a noise of surprise as the strong arms embraced her, her arms stuck out without purpose. He pulled back, hands still on her waist. "You've grown!" His smile was bright, and his eyes glowed.

"So have you…" Elizabeth responded incredulously. A tinkling laugh emerged from the blue-haired boy, no- man, in front of her.

"I may be taller, but I don't think I look that different." Had he looked in the mirror lately? "You've changed your hair." he commented, gaze turning towards the golden locks. He tucked back a stray curl, and ran his fingers over the single braid that spilled down her back. The blonde stiffened slightly at the unexpected, intimate gesture. He entangled their fingers together. "Let's see mother and father. They are waiting upstairs."

Elizabeth nodded, following the blue-clad boy. He wore a white button up shirt under a striped blue vest, with a blue tie and black pants. The colour reminded her of something.

"How is school going?" she asked delicately.

"It's going very well! It'll be my last year, so I hope that either McMillan or I will be the Sapphire Owl Prefect. Green Lion won the last cricket tournament…" He continued on, but the words fell upon deaf ears. Green Lion… that had been Edward's dorm. He had been in his fourth year. He shouldn't have been home- he was only there for Christmas. If he had just stayed at school-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock.

"Come in." said a muffled voice. Ciel gave her a smile before pushing open the door.

The parlour was very nice. Somewhat modest, there were two chairs and two loveseats in a "U" shape around the fireplace. A small circle table sat in between each. Maroon curtains were pushed back, showing the bright green lawn and slowly darkening sky. The fireplace was lit, and small lamps further brightened the room. The petite flames burned in Elizabeth's eyes.

A blue-black-haired head peeked out from behind the back of the chair. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Hello Elizabeth. Please, do sit down." Elizabeth smiled back in response, the gesture not quite meeting her eyes. She moved to sit in the loveseat in front of the Phantomhive dog, Ciel sitting next to her.

"Hi, Sebastian." she said, petting the large dog. She looked over her butler Sebastian. When she had named him, she had completely forgotten that it was also the name of the Phantomhive dog. He normally became annoyed whenever he was required to see the "mangy mutt" with her demon shared a name.

However, Elizabeth was surprised to see that his eyes were not narrowed in annoyance, glaring at the dog as usual. Instead, his gaze rested on Ciel, who conversed lightly with his parents. The eyes watched steadily, as if Ciel was the one who existed in the world. Those blood eyes, glowing in the soft light, looked on with such focus. There was some word that could describe the strange feeling the gaze and fixation evoked. What was it…?

Conversation with the Phantomhives continued. Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive told wondrous stories of various adventures, Ciel related hilarious school anecdotes, and Elizabeth smiled and laughed, not saying much. Even though she was not as avid in such a conversation as she would have been years ago, she could say that it was enjoyable, almost… fun.

The Phantomhive manor was always full of smiles, after all.

After dinner, Elizabeth and Ciel spoke alone in the parlour. His parents had retired to bed, and Sebastian was making preparations in Elizabeth's room.

"You've spoken so much about school. How have things been this summer?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, to tell the truth, I'm not really supposed to talk about it. But since we're family, and since you are my fiancée, I'll tell you a bit about it!" Ciel leaned in and lowered his voice. "You are not to tell a soul." he whispered seriously.

Elizabeth nodded, and leaned forward, interest piqued. Ciel was never this secretive.

"Do you know of my father's occupation?" he asked.

Elizabeth was surprised to find that the answer was no. She had known the man for her entire life, yet she had never once been told his occupation. She shook her head.

"He is known as 'the Queen's Watchdog'. He supervises the Underworld, helps to solve cases that the police are incapable of solving, and does the bidding of the royal family. It's the Phantomhive family business, and my father has been teaching me the ropes. Since I've arrived home, we've been working together.

"Would you visit me every week this summer?" he changed the subject abruptly. "It's been so long since we've seen each other, and I've missed you deeply."

Elizabeth hesitated. It was sudden, and such an inane request; she would not make such a long trip so frequently. However, Ciel said that he had missed her…

She shook her head. "I can not." He frowned in response.

"Will you at least stay until Saturday, then?" he asked. It was Wednesday, and Elizabeth had been planning to leave the next day. It was only two days…

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." she responded, Ciel grinning in response. It wasn't a grin of happiness though, it was a grin of cunning, of success. It surprised her.

"I've also learned how to manipulate people."

"Excuse me?" She exclaimed indignantly. Had she just been…? No, Ciel wouldn't… or had he…

"You see," he began, oblivious of her shock. "A person requests something ridiculous, and the person being asked will obviously say no. If one then asks something less ridiculous, even if it is something the other would normally refuse, the other is more likely to say yes had the first ridiculous request not been asked. Appealing to a person's emotions and sense of guilt also helps." His smile beamed.

"I see…" So had the part about missing her been a lie? Sensing her sudden dismay, Ciel frowned. Another part of manipulation was to accurately read the other's emotions.

"Manipulation is easier when there is some truth to what one is saying. I truly have missed you, Lizzy, and I do want you to stay." he explained, seeming sincere. Despite his kind tone, Elizabeth remained wary. He might have still been manipulating her, and if so, she would be an even bigger fool to believe him again.

"I will stay, but only because a lady does not go back on her word." He nodded in response, satisfied. "I'll be going to bed now." She rose from the loveseat and walked to the door.

"Ciel," she said in a soft voice, body facing away from the man.

"Yes?"

"The weather has been nice. Why don't we walk together tomorrow?" She could practically hear the happy smile in his next words.

"It would be my pleasure."

Sebastian slipped the silk gown over Elizabeth's head, the material covering her previously naked body.

"Isn't it improper for a man to see me in such a way?" she commented dryly.

"You would know better than I." he responded, mocking her words.

"I suppose I would." she said in a far off voice, then closed her eyes. Sebastian hummed, buttoning her sleeve cuffs. He finished, then moved onto the buttons on her neckline. "Why were you staring at Ciel earlier?" Elizabeth asked curiously, remembering his strange behaviour from earlier.

The gloved hands paused their task, Sebastian's hands resting above her breasts. She slowly opening her eyes, startled when she saw two ruby eyes staring into her own, just a bit too close for comfort. The moonlight reflected off of the orbs, and Elizabeth was reminded of the feeling of his strange gaze.

Still staring into her emerald eyes, he wound a hand around her, his palm resting against her back. He rubbed the area gently before moving to release her braid. He carded his fingers through her tresses, releases the curls from the braid which confined them.

"Tell me about him." he cooed, voice lulling her to an answer.

"He is sweet and kind. He continues to act childish, yet he is also mature. He is not a brat like a child, he is innocent and sees the world with wonder like one. He- earlier, he told me that his father is teaching him the family business- the Queen's Watchdogs. He manipulated me into staying here until Saturday. Yet afterwards, he was kind and carefree once again. I know not which side is the true side of him, but thinking of it distresses me." The words spilled out of her mouth. And she had told Sebastian what Ciel had asked her not to tell a soul, not that Sebastian had one. Was it by some demonic influence that the words concerning left her lips, or was it her own fault for trapping her thoughts of him for so long?

Sebastian nodded, and while his eyes remained mere centimetres from hers, his gaze was not fixed on her. The eyes looked past her, at some far off, intangible place. The blood eyes looked almost malicious, reflecting the cold glow of the moon.

A tongue darted out to lick his lips, and Elizabeth came to a realisation. That expression from before, the unique glare- she knew what it was. Those red eyes, the colour of fire and blood, passion, and desire. They held that singular emotion that fuels greed, tempts licenty, is the cause of every single vice and sin.

It was hunger.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading!