Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler, or anything affiliated with it. Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Original characters are mine.

A wild chapter appeared! Enjoy!

Chapter 14
Beacon Butler (Part 1)

At this moment, Sera was desperately trying to keep her eyes from burning a hole through the invitation that Ciel held in his hand. And she could do it too, if she just focused. The perks of being a creature from Hell; she could literally set things on fire with her eyes.

Ciel was sitting at his desk, studying the contents of the letter intently while his two demonic servants stood before him.

"I don't like this," Ciel said, his brow furrowed. "This Alois character is obviously planning something, and for him to just invite me through his front door… this is nothing but a direct challenge."

"My thoughts exactly, my Lord," Sebastian spoke up. "He may be using this party as a ruse to harm you as well."

Ciel rubbed at his bottom lip with his thumb, deep in thought. "Yes, even so we can't let this opportunity pass. We may be walking right into a trap, but I won't let a chance like this go to waste. The letter says that it's a costume ball and even the servants are invited to attend. Sebastian, make sure everything is in order for the whole household to attend the Trancy ball." Ciel's eyes roved over the letter once more. "Everyone needs to have a proper costume. The Phantomhive servants will be representing me, so be sure everyone looks their best."

Sebastian placed his hand over his heart and gave a slight bow, but before he could assent to his master's wishes, Sera held up a finger in pause.

"Excuse me, but I have to object. Can I be excluded from this farce of a party?"

Sebastian looked over at her completely baffled while Ciel just furrowed his brows. "Why?" The young earl asked.

Sera locked eyes with Sebastian, before she focused back on the earl. Ciel was unaware of the demonic politics that were taking place between Claude, Sebastian and herself, and she knew Sebastian wanted to keep it that way. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "I would just rather stay here. I'm not really one for all the pomp and circumstance of a ball."

Ciel snorted in amusement, leaning his cheek on his fist, a mocking smile on his lips. "That's a blatant lie. You are the most erratic and pompous person I've ever met."

Sera's eyes widened, feelings of both surprise at the Earl's words and anger that he would actually say them, shooting through her body. A brief burst of laughter covered quickly by the clearing of a throat caught her ear. Sera looked to her left to see her mate doing his best to keep the grin off his face.

"You two are just-," Sera stuttered in rage. "I can't believe that-… and here I thought I was in the presence of gentlemen," she growled in indignation. "Obviously I was mistaken." She turned on her heel and exited the room without waiting for a dismissal from the young earl.

"You're still going, Sera," Ciel shouted after her. "That's an order!"

She clenched her fists at the demand from the tiny human, stomping most unladylike down a corridor of the mansion. She had made it down the first set of stairs in the foyer and had just stepped on the landing when she felt her mate appear behind her. She stopped in her tracks, seething in embarrassment from what Ciel had said to her.

"You know we were only teasing you." Sebastian told her. He still had a hint of humor in his voice, which didn't please her, but it was nice that he came after her.

She stood with her back to him, fists planted firmly on her hips. He may have chased after her, but he could grovel for all she cared.

She felt two strong hands soothe over her shoulders, kneading at her muscles. "Come now, my pet, it was all in jest. You know that you are nothing less than divine to me." He pressed a kiss to her neck and buried his nose in her hair, his hands reaching down to wrap around her waist. Before he could though, Sera stepped away from his hold and turned to face him.

"I will believe that when you defend me against the lowly human instead of egging on his insults with your blatant betrayal."

Sebastian's eyes softened in amusement as he looked almost tenderly at his mate. She stood with her arms crossed and her head turned away from him, her nose turned up in disdain. She was quite simply adorable.

"Come on, Sera, you do have to admit that you do love to cause a scene, as well as be the center of attention. It's just in your nature."

Sera's eyes shot open and she looked over at him. Her arms tensed at his words and she mumbled, "well… yes I admit it." Her eyes suddenly filled with anger as she aimed her rage at him once more. "But I don't like that fact thrown so disrespectfully in my face!"

She glared down at the ground, her jaw clenched, not liking the feeling of being on the receiving end of a joke. She was used to other people being the butt of the joke; she was certainly never on this end of the spectrum.

A pair of freshly polished, black shoes entered her line of sight and she was gently pulled into her mate's embrace. Her arms were still crossed in front of her body, almost like a shield to protect herself, but that didn't deter Sebastian. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his hands running soothingly up and down her back. Sera turned her cheek to rest her head on his chest, still embarrassed, but feeling the anger slowly fade away. She felt kisses press against the crown of her head, and then his own cheek rest against her hair.

It didn't take long for Sera to let out a deep sigh, her arms falling away from her body to wrap tightly around Sebastian's waist. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling deeply to relax her body, the comfort of her mate's scent overflowing her senses.

"There we go," Sebastian murmured, his hands caressing her back. "Now, tell me what's really bothering you."

Sera's eyes widened in surprise at his words, before she sighed in defeat. She should have expected him to pick up on her real emotions. "What gave me away?" She mumbled into his chest.

"The fact that you're so desperately trying to stay out of the limelight."

"I should have known I was being too obvious."

Sebastian chuckled, his chest rumbling against her ear. He gently pulled her away from him and gave her a fond look before taking one of her hands and leading her over to the staircase that led to the west wing. He sat on the steps and pulled Sera to sit upon his lap, his hands resting upon her waist, while her arms reflexively wrapped around his neck.

"Well, isn't this unbecoming of a Phantomhive servant," Sera teased. "Slacking on the job?"

"I can take a moment or two for you. The master will be none the wiser."

He tenderly stroked her sides over her clothes while her gloved fingers came to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Tell me," Sebastian encouraged her.

Sera sighed. "I'm not so sure it would be a good idea if I went. What if Claude tries something with me? I don't want to end up in a position where he'll get the better of me."

Sebastian nodded his head. "I've thought of that, but you have to remember that the alternative is leaving you here all alone. As of right now, I don't know if Claude is working by himself or if he has his own cronies, but I will not leave you here defenseless and ripe for his taking. While we are at the ball, what would stop him from slipping away to the mansion and coming to capture you? I just can't leave that up to chance, so I would feel better if you were at the ball where I can keep an eye on you and ironically, where I know you will be safest."

Sera took in his words before she nodded her head in acceptance. "That actually makes sense." She pressed her forehead to his neck and closed her eyes, her arms tightening their hold. "I'm sorry if I made any trouble back there."

She felt Sebastian pause. "What's that?"

Sera pulled away to look at his face, and then immediately wished she could take back her words. Her mate was sporting the biggest grin.

"Do my own ears deceive me, or did you just apologize?"

Sera wrinkled her nose in irritation and tried to pull herself out of his arms. "I take it back. I'm not sorry, and you can go fuck yourself."

Sebastian laughed and tightened his hold on her. "No, no, no. Once it's said, you can't take it back. I've already had those words imprinted into my memory and I'm going to pull them out to save for a rainy day. I'm sure they'll be a great pick me up."

Sera kept struggling in his arms, not believing that he would hold this against her, but also knowing she should have expected it. Her mate was as devious as she was. Her struggles ended up in vain when her mate's fingers dug into her ribs rendering her completely helpless. A burst of laughter escaped her lips as he started a tickle assault on her body.

"Sebastian, stop!" Sera shrieked in laughter, doubling her efforts in her escape, but failing as her body turned weak from the tickling. She tried her best, and despite her flailing, she finally managed to catch his hands, holding them up and away from her body while she took in deep, gulping breathes.

Her forehead came to rest upon his, a wide smile on her face.

"There it is."

Sera opened her eyes, Sebastian's own red orbs focused on her.

"There's what?"

Her mate's eyes tilted down to focus on her lips before he pecked them with his own. "Your smile."

Sera reached up and gently placed her fingertips upon his lips, a plethora of emotions running through her entire being, she couldn't place one from the other. This moment with him was… wondrous to say the least.

He cares, Sera thought. Her happiness was important to him, and if she ever wanted proof, this moment was it. She never thought in her entire existence that she would experience such tenderness from another demon, least of all her eternally bonded. She traced her fingers over his mouth, down his chin and over the column of his neck before she reached his heart, her palm laying flat against his chest.

She wanted to say something, and she furrowed her brows, trying to come up with the words but nothing would appear. It was probably for the best. She didn't want to ruin it by blubbering out a joke or an insult like she normally would.

When she looked back up at his face, she felt a shiver run down her spine. He was looking at her with affection, but lying underneath was pure lust. Her demon was insatiable. It didn't matter that he had taken her in the drawing room not thirty minutes ago, he was ready and rearing again.

Not one to pass up a chance to tease, like Ciel and Sebastian had pointed out, she nonchalantly straightened the lapels of his jacket, patted his chest, and quickly jumped up from his lap.

"Well now that everything's sorted, I better go finish up the details of my costume."

Sebastian gave her a confused look as he stood and brushed off his trousers. "Costume? But you were just in the master's office doing your best to get out of this; and I didn't tell you the contents of the letter, so how would you know it was a costume ball?"

Sera lowered her eyes and picked at her gloves, doing her best to act all innocent. "I may have taken a peek at the letter before you gave it to Ciel."

Sebastian set his right elbow in his left hand, the fingers of his right rubbing at his temple. "You were also so adamant about not going, so why would you already be making a costume?"

Sera shrugged. "I wanted to be prepared on the off chance that I failed," she spread her arms in mock defeat, "and lo' and behold."

Sebastian shook his head in wonderment, of course she wouldn't leave anything to chance. Oh well, at least that was once less thing he had to worry about. "Do I have the pleasure of knowing what your costume is?"

Sera gave a wicked grin as she sauntered up to her mate, tapping her finger against his nose. "That, my dear, is a surprise."

Never mind, Sebastian thought. Looks like I do have one more thing to worry about.

The carriage rumbled across the pathway towards the Trancy estate, rocking almost delicately as it traveled over the uneven terrain of stones and rubble. Sera sat next to Sebastian on the inside of the Earl of Phantomhive's coach, with the young lord himself sitting across from them, a surly look on his face.

Sera could hear the other three Phantomhive servants, who were sitting up in the driver's box, singing about how they were going to a ball. It was nice that Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Finny were able to come along with them this time, and maybe even get the chance to enjoy themselves (however long that lasted). Sera was still wary of the impending visit to the Trancy estate. She had no idea what was going to happen and was incredibly nervous. She would have to be on her toes the entire time.

She sighed inwardly; just thinking about it was making her exhausted. Why couldn't she and Sebastian just stay in their nice, calm, sex filled bubble back at the Phantomhive estate? That or be able to live in peace somewhere back home in Hell.

That would actually be really nice, Sera thought. Her and Sebastian, with their own dominion, torturing and devouring souls to their hearts content.

As she stared out of the window, lost in thought, she involuntarily let out another sigh, this one out loud. She turned when she felt Sebastian take her hand and intertwine her arm through his own. She gave a meek shrug in apology and turned her attention towards the human sitting across from them.

Ciel looked sternly at them both. "Let's go over the information we have of Alois Trancy. The previous Earl Trancy, you said he died questionably three years ago. Is that right, Sebastian?"

"Yes," Sebastian confirmed.

Ciel turned solemn, getting lost in thought. "Three years ago…" he murmured.

Sera raised an eyebrow at the boy. He was probably thinking about his own tragic past that led him to summoning Sebastian. Her mate had filled her in on how he had become acquainted with the Ciel. All in all, she knew he was susceptible to bouts of melancholy when thinking about his trials, but she figured he'd have his shit together so close to this important visit.

She locked eyes with Sebastian and rolled her eyes. He tightened his hand on her thigh in warning, causing her to hide a smirk that was trying to appear on her lips.

Coming out of his reverie, Ciel closed his eyes and continued his recap of all the information they had on the Trancy boy. "Alois's mother committed suicide; he was kidnapped when he was very young, but then he returned home shortly before his father passed away… Along with a mysterious new butler." His sharp blue eye focused on Sebastian. "Is that the whole of it?"

"Yes," Sebastian answered. "His story seems familiar somehow."

"Almost like demons are sprouting from the ground, preying on young little boys with daddy issues." Sera blandly commented. She knew what she had said was cruel, but she really didn't care.

Ciel gritted his teeth as he glared at her, Sera meeting his stare head on.

"What?" She remarked coldly, a humorous chuckle escaping her lips. "Am I wrong?"

"That's enough," Ciel growled.

Sera's lips quirked in amusement, but after a stern look from Sebastian, she backed down. Though she was one to continuously kick someone after they were already down, she could let go of this round of fun. Aside from that, she knew that it infuriated Ciel to no end that he couldn't punish her. That brought her an immense amount of satisfaction on its own.

Though her and the earl had their moments of camaraderie, when it came down to it, Ciel was simply a means to an end. He certainly had his moments, and she could respect some aspects of his character, but all in all his existence was a nuisance. Though her and Sebastian were unequivocally bound, there would always be a part of Sebastian that belonged to Ciel so long as he was under this contract; and that was something Sera couldn't stand.

The rest of the carriage ride was relatively silent and before long, they were pulling up the drive of the Trancy estate.

Sera studied it with a bored eye; the structure was massive, but incredibly gaudy. She had to give Ciel credit; his ancestors had much better taste in architectural structures.

Once the carriage came to a smooth stop in front of the manor, Sebastian stepped out and offered his hand to Sera. She placed her hand within his own, and gracefully exited the vehicle, moving to stand by his side. Ciel stepped out just after her, cane in hand and top hat in place.

"Right," Baldroy spoke up from the front seat of the carriage. "We servants gotta go come in through the back entrance."

"See you this evening, Master!" Mey-Rin waved joyfully.

Finny's face shone brightly as he looked down at them all. "We've got some brilliant costumes! Wait till you see 'em, Sir!"

Baldroy flicked the reigns on the horses and they were off, quickly disappearing around the side of the manor.

Ciel turned towards the large, ornate door, and made his way towards it. Sera started to follow after him, but slowed her walk when Sebastian pulled gently at the back of her uniform.

"I know why you said what you did," Sebastian whispered, Sera's heightened senses picking up on the low tone of his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"In the carriage, when you were baiting the young master with your comment about his daddy issues. You were trying to start a fight because you're nervous."

Sera shot a look in his direction. "No, you're just delusional."

Sebastian ignored her as they walked up the short number of stairs that led to the front door. "Don't worry. I will protect you."

"Enough," Sera discreetly snarled at him. "Quit trying to make something out of nothing."

Sebastian's only response was to lay his hand on the small of her back. Despite what she said, he knew her true feelings. Not only because of the bond, but because it was how he was feeling himself. He was deliberately leading her into the spider's web, and though try as he might, there was a small chance she could be caught.

Sera stood just behind Ciel, acting the part of the dutiful housekeeper, while Sebastian stepped forward to knock at the door. Just before his fist made contact with the wood, it opened.

Sera's entire body was tense and ready to defend herself once the Trancy butler came into view. Claude stood tall and immaculately dressed, his dark blue navy uniform complimenting the blue tint in his black hair. She caught his golden eyes quickly sweep over her form before he turned his attention to the human in their midst.

"The right, honorable Earl, Ciel Phantomhive We've been expecting you." Claude greeted monotonously, giving a small bow. He stood and looked Ciel straight in the eye as he introduced himself. "Claude Faustus, the butler of this estate."

Sera noticed Ciel tense beside her, though his face remained stoic as he took in the new and unfamiliar demon. Sebastian was also tense and though his expression remained blank, she could clearly see the pure loathing shining in his red eyes as he looked upon the other demon.

Claude backed away and opened the door wider, bowing and spreading his arm out in invitation to enter. "Please come in."

Hesitantly following the young earl's lead, Sera looked to Sebastian who motioned her forward, obviously wanting his eyes on her at all times. Before they completely entered, Sebastian stopped in his tracks, his head tilting toward the top of the door frame.

"What's that?" Ciel asked, his butler's curiosity garnering his own.

Sera looked up as well, and noticed a large web, with a menacing looking spider dancing along the threads it had woven.

"Ah yes," Claude said, affection in his tone. "The Trancy coat of arms bears a spider, so out of respect, we preserve their lives.

"But of course," Sebastian commented; like letting spiders wander around a home like they pay rent was the most natural thing in the world. "Besides, when it comes to spiders, the harder you try to kill them the faster they cling."

Claude ignored the devilish smile Sebastian gave him and ushered Ciel inside the manor once more. "Do come in."

With Sebastian at her back, Sera could say she almost felt safe. That is until she walked passed Claude and heard him take a deep inhale of her scent. She felt Sebastian place a hand on the small of her back to keep her moving, as well as provide a sense of support, for a part of her wanted to simultaneously flee from the demon and claw his golden orbs out of their sockets.

Ignorant of what was going on behind him, Ciel addressed Claude. "Might my butler and housekeeper come with me?"

"Certainly, Sir."

"Let's go," Ciel ordered, Sebastian quickly voicing his assent.

"Do forgive me though," Claude interrupted as he closed the door behind him. "I'm afraid my master is currently away on business. He shall return in time for the ball."

Ciel looked back at the bespectacled butler. "Very well."

"I've laid out tea and refreshments for you in the drawing room. Everyone else has already arrived, Sir."

Ciel's blue eye widened in mild surprise. "Who is everyone?"

"Just a couple of other guests that my young master thought fit to invite," Claude explained. "I've other matters to take care of, but you'll find the drawing room just through that corridor, the first door on the left." He gave another small bow and walked away, his golden eyes flashing at Sera and Sebastian before he had cleared the room.

"Interesting fellow," Ciel commented, his own eye tracking the butler in turn.

"Well said, my lord," Sera added quietly as she watched Claude leave. Shaking her head, she turned to Sebastian and slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, noting how he pulled her slightly closer to his body as they made their way to the drawing room.

Once there, Sebastian released her arm to open the door for Ciel. The boy had barely made it two steps in when he was attacked by a pink ball of tulle and lace, blonde curls bouncing in excitement.

"Oh, Ciel!" The girl shrieked as she wrapped her arms around the boy.

Ciel grunted in surprise as he did his best to stand strong against the girl's momentum. "Elizabeth!"

"Ciel, it's just 'Lizzie'." The girl scolded as she pulled away to look at his face, her hands keeping a tight grip on his shoulders.

"We'd expected you sooner, my Lord."

As Sera entered the room after Ciel, her eyes quickly took in the occupants of the room. Aside from the juvenile girl in pink frills, there was another woman who Sera assumed was the blonde girl's maid, another pair of men in the far corner whom Ciel had yet to notice, and on the couch was the man who had just spoken.

Given from his state of dress, Sera assumed he was a Chinese aristocrat. He had short, cropped hair and was wearing an elaborate green Changsheng. There were two things about him which immediately caught Sera's interest. The first was his eyes, which he hadn't opened once since the Phantomhive Earl and his servants had walked through the door. The second was the provocatively dressed woman, who was unabashedly straddling the man's lap. The woman's skirt was so short, Sera was surprised her lady bits weren't showing.

The woman was incredibly beautiful though. She had large, golden eyes and thick black hair arranged in thin braids, and buns that resembled cat ears, with a large, pink peony and golden tassel hanging off the left bun. Sera noted that the woman's outfit was a lavender cheongsam with black accents. Her arms were encased in a blue cropped jacket, her generous bosom seemingly reaching out towards the face of the man beneath her. She had black thigh high stockings, (pretty similar to what Sera was wearing herself), and ballet flats encasing her tiny feet.

If Sera hadn't been mated, she probably would have pursued the woman.

"Lau," Ciel greeted as he walked over to them. "So you two were invited to the ball as well?"

Sebastian was just about to follow after Ciel when he felt a small tug at his coat.

Sera was using all of her willpower to keep her lips from breaking into a wide grin. She subtly elbowed Sebastian in the side and motioned her head towards the couple on the couch, making sure to keep her voice down in her excitement. "How come we don't sit like that?"

Sebastian discreetly rolled his eyes at his mate, knowing exactly where her train of thought was about to go.

"Come on, we can even dress like that too, but in an English style. You could wear more of a lax suit, and I'll wear a sexy little gown with a corset and bustle, the dress just barely brushing my thighs; like when we met! Could you imagine the look on people's faces when they saw us? I'm pretty sure it would be exactly the way I'm reacting but given the social rules that these human's follow, I assume they would be more appalled than impressed like I am. It would cause an absolute riot! Wouldn't that be so much fun?"

Sebastian just sighed at the unpalpable excitement on Sera's face. When she had an idea, she ran with it.

Sera placed a hand to her chin while she looked over at the couple in wonder. "I never thought I would have so much respect for a couple of humans. Just… wow."

"That's enough, Sera. We're servants; we're supposed to be silent observers."

Being a silent observer was deemed impossible once Lau caught site of the woman who had been inadvertently hidden behind the dark butler. "And who is this, my Lord?" As the Chinese nobleman said this, every other person in the room seemed to shift their attention from the young earl.

Ciel looked behind himself at the demonic couple. "Oh, this is my housekeeper, Sera. She's Sebastian's wife."

There was a minor pause in the room… and then a unanimous explosion. "WIFE?"

"Sebastian, I didn't know you were married!" The girl named Lizzie said excitedly as she bounded up to the couple. She stopped in front of Sera, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Sebastian motioned towards the young girl, "Sera, this is Lady Elizabeth Midford, the daughter of the Marquess Midford; she's also our young master's betrothed."

Sera met Ciel's eye across the room, and while the smile on her face would be genuine to others, Sera saw the exact moment Ciel noticed the diabolical undertone of her expression. She was going to have so much fun now that she knew Ciel was to be married, and the look of dread in Ciel's eye told her that he knew it too.

Sera gave a curtsy to the girl in front of her, a charming and beautiful smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady."

Lizzie bristled with excitement, her hands cupping her face as a red hue appeared on her cheeks. "Oh my gosh, you are just adorable!"

"Now, now, my lady," Sebastian smiled amiably. "I know what you're thinking, but maybe another time."

Sera looked between the two in confusion. "Another time for what?"

"You're quite right, Sebastian," the girl answered. "Oh, I'll just have to pay the manor a visit. I have the most wonderful things that would suit Sera perfectly!"

"Very good, my lady," Sebastian answered in encouragement.

"Another time for what?" Sera asked again. She looked to Sebastian who just gave her a devious smile.

"You'll see." Sebastian could just imagine the picture Sera would make in the frilly gowns and accessories that Lady Elizabeth was known to bring. It would do Sera some good to experience some humble embarrassment. He was getting excited just thinking about it.

Sera looked nervously at her mate, about to question him some more when Ciel ushered her towards the couch. "Sera, this is Lau. He's the head of the British division of the Shanghai trading company, Kong-Rong. We often do business together; and this is Ran-Mao, his… friend… I think."

Sera bowed her head in greeting towards the two, just feeding off of the energy they were giving. These two were not quite what they seemed. Lau gave off a massive aura of lust and greed; he most certainly had a devious thirst for power, and Sera assumed he would crush anyone in his path to get it, be they friend or foe. The woman was more relaxed in her desires, but the flame of lust burned brightly in her soul, all of it aimed towards the man who's lap she occupied. She was obviously loyal to him.

"I didn't know Ciel's good butler had a bride," the man commented in interest. His voice was smooth toned and high pitched.

Before Sera could answer, Sebastian cut in, not trusting her to delve into another elaborate story like she did with the other Phantomhive servants. "Yes, well. We've been apart for a while, and she recently returned home. I didn't think it suitable for a servant like myself to divulge any personal and inconsequential details."

His reply was smooth and exactly expected coming from a suave fellow like him, Sera thought.

And then a moment that could have come and gone without her noticing if her eyesight hadn't been so enhanced.

Lau opened his eyes, ever so discreetly. His brown gaze perused her form, and when his eyes met her own, Sera shivered.

Oh. Now here was a soul worth thirsting for. Sera swallowed thickly; she could just taste the sin emanating from him.

And just like that, his eyes were closed, and the atmosphere changed completely. Mostly due to the cry of excitement that came from the other side of the room.

"Ciel!"

The boy had no time to react when a young man with purple hair and an elaborate garb rushed up and wrapped his arms around Ciel in excitement.

"It's been so long, my friend!"

"What the blazes are you doing?" Ciel shouted. "Get off of me, Prince Soma!"

The man simply tightened his grip around the young earl and nuzzled his head against Ciel's own. "Oh, Ciel, it's so good to see you!"

"Are you mad? Unhand me! This is not how civilized people greet one another!"

Sera looked on in both amusement and fascination, reveling in Ciel's discomfort over the embarrassing spectacle that he was being subjected to. "I don't know who this man is, but he is quickly rising on my list of favorite humans," she gleefully whispered to Sebastian.

Her mate gave a quiet chuckle, knowing any discomfort shown towards Ciel would give her a wicked sense of joy.

Lizzie quickly hurried over towards the Phantomhive servants, looking on at Ciel in worry. "Sebastian, you should do something before Ciel gets really cross!"

Sebastian gave the young girl a polite smile. "Oh, there's no need to worry. The Prince has a very capable butler to help him."

At that moment, the other man who had been silently observing came rushing over to pull the overly excited prince away from Ciel. "Highness, you mustn't."

The prince only struggled in the man's hold. "No! Do not take me away from Ciel!"

The man's hold was firm despite the teenager's thrashing. He was dressed in a beautiful green Sherwani with a yellow and white sash over his right shoulder. On his head he wore a plain, cream turban over short, cropped, white hair, with the exception of two long locks that fell to his chest. What Sera noticed about the man that was most interesting, was that his right hand and forearm were wrapped in bandages. She wondered if it was from a previous injury.

Ciel brushed his clothes off and backed away towards Sebastian, trying his best to retain his sense of propriety. "Good gracious, get ahold of yourself. Your behavior is most unbecoming."

As the prince calmed himself, Sera noted the prince's butler give a subtle nod in greeting towards Sebastian.

"Highness, it appears we have a new friend we have yet to be acquainted with." The white-haired man turned towards Sera and gave her a small bow. "Hello, Miss. Please meet my master, the twenty-sixth child of the King of Bengal, Prince Soma Asman Kadar. And my name is Agni, his loyal servant."

Sera gave a polite nod towards Agni, and dipped into a curtsy for Prince Soma, a delighted smile on her face. "I'm pleased to meet both of you. My name is Sera Michaelis."

At that, the prince seemed to turn his attention away from Ciel, this new piece of information taking his interest. "Honestly, I'm kind of in shock. I cannot believe that as long as we have known Ciel, Sebastian had a wife that we did not know about."

"Yes, my friend," Agni continued, addressing Sebastian, "and you have such a beautiful bride."

Sebastian gave a pleased smile. "Thank you, Agni."

Soma then straightened his posture and gave Sera a small bow. "I apologize for the scene I had created. I was just so overcome with joy at being reunited with my friend that I forgot myself."

Sera put on one of her sickeningly sweet smiles and held up her hands in reassurance. "Oh, no need to apologize, your highness." Sera assumed a gentle demeanor, clutching her hands to her chest as she stepped closer to the prince. "I can completely understand the deep bonds of friendship, and from your reaction, I could immediately tell how greatly you care for Ciel. It was just a beautiful thing. So please, your highness, do not apologize on my account for showing such dedication to your friends."

A deep blush appeared on the prince's tan skin, spreading from his cheekbones all the way down to his neck at both the woman's proximity and her words. He was about to reply when he caught site of Ciel's butler, who was standing just behind the woman. His red gaze was focused on the prince and his eyes sharpened in warning.

Prince Soma cleared his throat and backed away from the beautiful servant. "I-uh… thank you… for your kind words. They are much appreciated…. Agni…." The prince turned and gripped his servant's arm, trying and failing to make it look like he wasn't hiding behind Agni in order to avoid the scary butler's piercing red gaze.

Sebastian gave one last warning look at the prince before he motioned to Ciel. "Young Master, I suggest we retire. We need to prepare ourselves for the ball. Come along now."

Ciel turned and led the way out of the room, Sebastian and Sera following behind him.

Before she left, Sera turned back towards the group and gave a charming smile along with a slight bow. "It was lovely meeting you all, and I look forward to getting to know you better."

As she left the room, Sebastian closing the door behind her, she heard a contented sigh.

"How lovely," Lizzie sighed.

"Yes, the butler's bride is quite divine. I don't think I've ever seen such a woman in my entire life. Oh, don't look at me like that Ran-Mao. You know you have to agree with me."

Sera peeked a look at Sebastian as they walked down the hallway back towards the foyer. She knew he was listening too, their heightened hearing picking up the conversation.

"My prince, I don't think I have ever seen you blush like that." Agni commented. "Though I cannot blame you. Our friend Sebastian is a lucky man indeed."

Sera gave Sebastian a cheeky grin as she nudged him in the side with her elbow. "Hear that? Did you know how lucky you were?"

Sebastian merely shook his head, finding her both amusing and exhausting.

Sera was about to say more, when Sebastian suddenly stopped in the foyer, Ciel standing still in front of them. Before them were three identical men with varying styles of plum colored hair. They were all wearing matching uniforms that consisted of black pants, white shirts, brown vests, and charcoal ribbons tied in bows around their necks.

And if their red eyes didn't give them away, their demonic aura did. She and Sebastian were officially outnumbered.

Sera leaned towards Sebastian and lowered her voice to a frequency the triplets couldn't hear. "You still feeling confident?"

"You have nothing to worry about."

Sera's eyes were focused on the demons in front of her, but she felt Sebastian's power flare a little. The male triplets looked from Sebastian, to her, and back again, obviously receiving the warning he had emitted.

The three then bowed in unison and gestured their left arms towards the staircase. It appeared that they either didn't know how to speak or they chose not to. Sera wouldn't be surprised if it was the former. She had met a lot of dumb ass demons in her day.

With that, the three demons started to walk off, leaving the Earl and his servants to follow behind. As they walked down a corridor, Ciel decided it was time to get serious. He watched the three triplets carefully before leaning his head back towards his butler.

"Sebastian, search this mansion from top to bottom. Understood?"

Sebastian nodded. "My lord."

"Should I search too?" Sera asked discreetly.

"No, it would be best if you stayed with the master and protected him," Sebastian answered. "You'll be in a public place, so I doubt anyone would try to attack."

Sera rolled her eyes in reply. "I never get to have any fun."

Are you guys proud of me? Cause I'm proud of me *sobbing*. I can't believe I managed to get out a chapter and it hasn't even been a full year. After writing that sentence, I realized that I'm seriously the worst author and I don't deserve you guys.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your comment added a piece of happiness to my soul as well as the drive to write this chapter.

Despite my trashiness, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Sera met some new friends as well as some potential foes. Next chapter we're gonna meet some more foes and Sera and Ciel may find themselves in a pickle.

Please please please leave a review! Let me know what you liked; your favorite part, line, my portrayal of the characters or a certain scene, anything! Feedback feeds my soul 3 Constructive criticism is welcome as well (emphasis on constructive). Like I'm just here to have a good time, not get my mental and emotional well-being ripped to shreds.

Until next time!

XOXO,

Alyssa