Loyalty -Kuroshitsuji-

It had been a week since I had first arrived at the Phantomhive mansion. Compared to my previous living situation this was a personal heaven. Almost no rules, no hitting, nothing violent. It was wonderful.
Almost everyday was the same. Whether it was following around a stumbling Meylene as she attempted to clean the mansion to perfection, or helping poor finny in the garden as he tried to avoid distorting it with a can of weed killer he didn't know was open, or even trying to avoid dying while allowing Bard to show me how to cook food, with a flame thrower no doubt. I was always exciting and slowly I had learned everything I needed to know. While I wasn't allowed to venture out on my own and do whatever was asked of me, I did enjoy being able to laugh like I used to.
Around Sebastian and Ciel however, I was still weary. I had no idea when and if Ciel was going to snap and hit me. I figured he wouldn't, he was kind even if he was silent and distant most of the time, however I was unsure never the less.
And then there was Sebastian. He seemed so perfect and working with him, when I was allowed to, was very hard. He did everything with such a grace about him, fixing all the mistakes of the other servants while getting everything he was suppose to do, on time everyday. Even I had a hard time keeping up, even breaking a few piece of china much to his dismay.
Regardless my time here was worth every moment.


Today was different, Ciel and Sebastian were gone, out to get Ciel's replacement cane seeing as Finny has accidentally broken his old one. The mansion was quite as we all did our best to clean and polish the place to perfection.
I had joined Finny outside trying to trim the hedges down to a bearable size. It was another beautiful sunny day, as it had been for a long time to my delight. It had been a good day, until a disgruntled Finny had broken a quite a large oak tree in half. His strength, as I was told, really was insane.
"Ahhh! I've gone and done it again!" he whined.
I set a comforting hand on his shoulder ,trying to calm him down, "Don't worry! It was just a tree, not anything too important, you can always grow another one! Plus now we have firewood!"
"But , but I already got scolded yesterday for breaking the young masters stick! Mister Sebastian will yell at me again! he practically sobbed grabbing and hugging my arm. "I even promised that we'd watch 'The Wild Earl VIII' together!"
"It's okay Finny!" I patted him smiling brightly.

"But Ada, if I'm being scolded.."
I had stopped listening, now paying attention to the rapidly approaching sounds of footsteps. Someone was running towards us...
"Young...master?" I asked far too late. In that short moment Finny and I were attacked and dragged away by a small blob of blonde and red.
Ciel wasn't going to like this....

ஓ

"No!" I screamed running away from my small female attacker. She had managed to pull my hair down and now it fell in long strands of black, it flew behind me like a black curtain as I ran.

"Yes!" the little girl hissed chasing after me, arms full of my worst nightmare..

"NO!" I was running out of steam and before I knew it it was too late. She tackled me and ripped off my servant’s uniform. In one pile sat my black trench coat pants and boots and in the other was my long sleeved button up white shirt.

After openly undressing in front of everyone (with a few gasps and screams from me) she slipped my small frame into a long elegant teal gown. I sat up, looking down at myself hopping my hair covered the horror that my emerald eyes held.

I hated looking like a lady...
It made me feel vulnerable...

"There you look so much cuter as your proper gender Miss. Adalina!” the girl said smiling innocently and clapping her hands together in joy.

"Sorry Ada! the others cried failing to save me and themselves as was made clear with the wig Bard had on and the cute bunny ears Finny sported from the top of his orange hair.

The girl stood and skipped off to harass Tanaka the old butler like servant. He’d let her...he never really protested to anything. Meylene luckily had been spared for the moment, for the moment....

She'd get hers I was sure.

I franticly tried to analyze the situation that was placed ON me. What was this girl’s problem...?

The door creaked open and I heard the butler's voice as he promised Ciel tea. I HAD to get away... I scurried under the nearest end table and huddled into the tightest ball I could manage. They wouldn't see me like this...

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MANSION?!" Ciel yelled in shock. He was right. From head to toe the mansion was a little girl’s dream castle. Bunnies and ribbons of every shade of pastel color you could think up.

"SEBASTIAN!" the servants yelled proceeded by the thud of them tackling him. "HELP!"

Sebastian sighed and I imagined him placing his hand to his forehead in irritation. "What's going on and why are you dressed like that?"

"Ask that crazy girl!" Bard demanded.

I peaked out to watch as Ciel peaked into the next room admiring Tanaka's make over. Next thing I knew he was launched backwards, tackled by the young blonde intruder. "Ciel I missed you!"

"Elizabeth!" Ciel exclaimed in shock.

So the freak had a name...

"It's Lizzie!" she replied spinning him around the room in a 'loving' embrace.

Sebastian broke up the two, "Miss Elizabeth, it has been quite sometime since we last saw you."

"Oh Sebastian! I brought a present for you too" she said reaching into her bag of god knows what and pulling out something and placing it on his head.

Well it was cute, bonnets were cute. Just not pink ones on black butlers.

His face was grim and I could understand completely. I dropped the table cloth and resumed hiding ignoring the rest of they're love scene. I had to get to my room and change into something not....not this.

"Lizzie why are you here and does your mother know?" Ciel questioned, annoyance in his voice.

I tuned out the rest planning my escape. I heard Lizzie prance off speaking of a dance party with Ciel and how she had to look her best. Everyone was silent. Slowly I lifted up the cloth in front of me and slowly made my way out from under it.

"You three...” Ciel began, “Where is Adalina?"

Oh no...

Finny piped up, "She's hiding under that end table…Lizzie got to her too...” he chuckled nervously.

I moved faster, too fast actually and in my rush I smashed my head against the corner of the table, falling over in a pile of hair and fabric.

"Idiot..." I heard Ciel comment from above me. "What are you doing?"

"Going...to change..." I looked up at him scared shitless. "I don't like dresses master..."

"If you don't stay in it for a while Lizzie is just going to be annoying. So just deal with it until I can get rid of her. Adalina you'll be observing Sebastian again today, now come on.” He left with his butler right behind him.

"Yes, master" I replied standing and running after him, well somewhat running....


"If you don't mind me asking…why exactly IS Miss. Elizabeth here?" I asked dusting off a few of Ciel's bookshelves while Sebastian served him tea in china that I has once again picked out (seems I was the official world cup octopus of china these days*)

Sebastian sighed, “Miss. Elizabeth is the daughter of the Middleford-Marquis family that Lady Francis married into. Alas the young master cannot turn away his fiancée so coldly.”

I smiled softly at the young boy. “Least you have someone you know” I giggled. Love was so cute among twelve year olds.

Ciel grumbled and looked away, “It's not like I chose to marry her, I was FORCED to…”

Sebastian set down a pretty blue floral set and continued. “Don't you think that for today it would be a good idea to obey her wishes? You still haven't finished that game...”

What game? I sighed. There were so many things I was behind on....

“Just stuff food in her mouth and send her on her way. I don't have time for her games today. Let alone a dance.”

Could he even dance?

“But Miss. Elizabeth wants to dance with you...Young master… I’ve never seen you do so, so I must ask, do you know HOW to dance?”
Ciel turned away embarrassed. I giggled softly

“I see that would explain why you're such a wallflower at dances and parties.”

“I'm too busy to worry about trivial things like dancing.” Ciel said matter-of-factly.

“Regardless a man of aristocracy must be able to dance for it IS needed at balls and banquets. If you were to refuse the daughter of a businessman a dance you could cause your social standing to plummet.

“Besides master, you don't want to make a girl cry because you don't know what to do. That's rude for a man of any social standing to do.” I bounded over, frowning and stared at him seriously.