Pitch Black

As the wedding day grew closer, Ciel grew more worried and nervous. He had learned quite a bit more then he had wanted from Sebastian on the art of making love and wished he had not bothered to ask. Now, the information was etched into his brain though he found himself too shy and disturbed to want to try any of it. The servants bustled about the manor getting things prepared for the trip to london where the wedding would take place at the Queen's palace.

Laughter rang out from beyond the walls of his study, coming through the crack in his door. He would recognize that sound anywhere now, for it belonged to his fiancee. It sounded as though she was with Leo, as always. Sebastian had informed him of their close relationship, one that the demon made sure was taboo. Demons and humans were never meant to fall in love, and yet from Sebastian's report, her companion held feelings for her.

Opening the door, he peered out into the hall in time to see Katherine and Leo walking by toward the parlour for tea time. He admired the emerald gown she was dressed in, one he had chosen for her to wear today. He had made sure to have Sebastian present it to Leo at his request. Since learning about love with Sebastian, he had been avoiding Katherine at all costs to avoid embarrassing himself. It was unbecoming of a Phantomhive. It was times like this, he tried to remember what his parents were like. Had they been the same, or had love come naturally to them both?

Sebastian appeared beside him and he gave a startled jump. Sighing with annoyance, he turned to his butler with a slight glare. "Do not sneak up on me like that. You shall give me a heart attack one of these days."

He moved back into his study where he sat down and Sebastian served him his lunch and tea.

"You have been avoiding Lady Katherine for quite some time. She grows worried I've been told. Seems she has been talking to May-Rin quite a bit," he said wryly, thinking of the adorable clumsy maid with coke bottle glasses.

Ciel sighed and pushed his hair back from his face, obviously stressed out about the ordeal. "I am aware of that. I just cannot help it...I don't want to make a fool of myself," he muttered unhappily and Sebastian smiled.

"Just be yourself as always, my lord. From the way she looks at you, she would have you no other way," he assured lightly as he stepped back.

Sipping his tea, Ciel gazed out the window toward the garden where Katherine was having her tea as always. It had become her sanctuary, being among the flowers. She spent every opportunity there. Watching her interact with Leo, he frowned and came to a decision.

"Is there any more paperwork for today, Sebastian?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from her delicate form.

Sebastian lifted a brow of curiosity. "No. Did you have something in mind for today?"

Ciel tore his eyes away and glanced at the demon. "Prepare the carriage. We are going to town."

Smiling, Sebastian bowed respectively. "Yes, my lord."

Katherine sighed peacefully, enjoying the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun. Her wedding gown had just been finished today and she was quite excited about it. Since they had received the letter in regards to their wedding date, she had much time to grow excited and used to the idea of marriage. It was inevitable after all. She had also noticed that Ciel avoided her as much as possible since that evening when she had seen him at his most vulnerable. Just thinking of the reason he had looked at her like that made her blush. She had also grown used to the idea of embracing him.

Leo regarded his mistress carefully, noted the blush that filled her cheeks a dusty rose. Narrowing his eyes, he knew exactly what she was thinking about. Since that night when the topic of her wedding night had come up, she was often to be found gazing off into the clouds and grew embarrassed more easily. He did not like the fact that she would be married soon. It was as if he was being forced to give up his rights to have her, to be with her. Long ago, he cast aside the idea that she was just food to him. Since he had raised her, watched her grow into the woman she was, he had grown to love her as a man. Demon he may be, but by the god's he loved her human or not.

His darkened mood caught Katherine's attention and she noticed his scary expression. Surprised, she reached out to him, touching his face. He was brought from his thoughts, looking down into those enchanting eyes filled with concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching his.

He smiled and reached up to cup her hand in his, holding it to his flesh. "I was just thinking, that's all."

She frowned. "It must not have been good for you to have such a face as you did."

He gazed at her lovingly and patted her hand, removing her hand from his face. "Do not worry, my lady. Even demons need to think at times," he said lightly with a smile and was glad when her face softened and the worry vanished.

The moment was disrupted when Ciel arrived, staring intently at their hands. Without hesitation, Katherine smiled up at him and moved away from her companion. He lowered his hand with a forlorn expression, turning an annoyed glare toward the Earl. Noting this, Ciel narrowed his eyes and focused on Katherine. He softened his expression and inclined his head.

"Forgive me for not spending any time with you, Katherine. I have been busy with paperwork and the like," he said, gazing down at her. "Today however, I am free. Would you care to go to town with me? I have some errands to run."

It had felt like forever since she had seen him. She took a moment to appreciate the man she was to wed, admiring his stunningly good looks. As much as she had grown used to the idea of being with him, she had yet to get to know him better. She was unsure of what kind of man he really was. She had heard many things about him, the dark things of his past and how he handled the dealings in the underworld of london for the Queen. She had done so herself, thus she knew how careful she had to be.

For the most part, his attitude needed an adjustment still. She believed him to be rude most of the time except for the rare cases of vulnerability he had shown since her arrival. During those times, she found him likeable and good company. However, a good portion of the time he was in a bad mood and found him to be quite a scoundrel.

She eyed him with suspicion. "Do you plan on replaying what had happened the last time we made an attempt to go into town together?"

His jaw ticked slightly below his ear, a tell-tale sign that he was annoyed but he held himself in check. Surprised, Katherine tilted her head and smiled.

"Of course not. I do apologize for our last journey. It will never happen again, I swear to you," he said sincerely with a sweeping bow that caught her off guard.

She felt flustered as he straightened and gazed at her intensely as he always did. Glancing at Leo, she realised that she would get no help from him. He had that scary look again and was ignoring the conversation entirely.

Turning back to Ciel, she curtsied. "It would be my pleasure to accompany you, my lord."

During the carriage ride, nothing was said and it was silent all the way to the center of london. Katherine took her time enjoying the scenery and the vendor stalls that had opened up to the public. While Ciel remained by her side in silence, she chose new material for gowns and other girly things that caught her attention.

When it was time for Ciel to run his errands, she was introduced to some rather interesting people. Being aquainted already with demons and the like, she was not surprised when she met Grell Sutcliff and Undertaker. Actually she found them both rather amusing. It was also at this time that she discovered Sebastian had a thing for cats. She had thoroughly enjoyed watching him play with a black stray, squeezing it's plush padded paws with a loving expression while Ciel looked on with a glare.

When the two butlers prepared a picnic in the park under the shade of a giant oak tree, Katherine settled herself down with a sigh of satisfaction. She had definitely enjoyed herself today, even if Ciel did not talk much. She was very glad he had invited her, allowing her to be free of the manor for a little while.

Feeling slightly unnerved by the way the two demons were eyeing each other up, Katherine glanced toward Ciel through narrowed eyes. He seemed to be bored as he gazed out around the park, his eye fixated on the horizon beyond the towering trees. The sun was warm and beautiful as it flitted through the parts between the leaves. Rays cast down upon him causing his black hair to shine blue in the sudden touch of light. She allowed her eyes to roam over her fiancee as she tried to silently learn more about him. She watched his movements, the way emotions flitted in his revealed eye and vanished as quickly as they appeared. When he was nervous, or lost in thought he would touch his left ear lightly. When he was troubled he toyed with strands of his hair. When he was shy he covered the lower half of his face with his hand to hide it.

Katherine found herself growing more intrigued with this strange man with the haunted expression. He had seemed quite frightening in the beginning, but little by little he was beginning to soften those expressions and his tone. They way he looked at her in general, had softened and made her pulse leap with anticipation. She frowned. Anticipation for what?

"Katherine."

Blinking at the sound of her name, she realised she had been lost in her thoughts and had not realised he was now looking at her. Lifting an eyebrow, he studied her carefully with an expression of bewilderment. He did not often change his expressions, but when he did they were vivid and always caught her unawares.

Managing a smile, she blushed and released the breath she had been holding. "Forgive me," she murmured. "I seem to have gotten lost in my thoughts."

A sudden sound of shattering glass grabbed their attention as they turned toward Sebastian, who held a most murderous expression of intense dislike. Looking to Leo, it dawned on Katherine that he sensed something; his eyes had begun to glow a blood wine red along with Sebastian's. Heart leaping into her throat, she reached for Leo sub-consciously but found herself pulled against Ciel. He held her tightly in his arms, wrapping them around her protectively as he glared out toward the shadows along with Sebastian.

There in the shadows revealed a pair of familiar crimson eyes shaded by fashionable glasses. He wore a similiar outfit to Sebastian's. Katherine felt a chill rise up her spine as she stared up at Ciel, feeling the devil's eyes on her back. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder with a masked expression only to see someone she had wished never to see again.

The blood drained from her face as her eyes grew wide, her expressionless mask transforming into pure fear.

"Alois," she breathed in a voice so quiet, Ciel could barely hear it.

Looking up, he glared into the piercing eyes of Alois Trancy, head of the Trancy Estate and immediately went on guard. He knew from past meetings with the other young man, he was dangerous as was his demon butler, Claude Faustus. The blond haired young man was a nut job while his companion longed for Ciel's soul.

Katherine shuddered in Ciel's arms, pressing herself into the safety of his body. He noted the brightness of her eyes and pale complexion. She was absolutely terrified of this man. Narrowing his eyes, Ciel felt a sudden pang of anger. What had this brute done to his future wife to make her so afraid?

Beside him Leo snarled, his eyes a bright crimson of rage. His fangs elongated and were bared to the new arrivals with such murderous intent that Ciel assumed Alois had attempted something forbidden.

"How dare you show your face to my mistress," Leo hissed, his voice quiet and venomous. No one had ever seen him so enraged to the point of maddness.

The young blond haired man simply smiled, his cold piercing blue eyes narrowed with amusement. He lifted a hand and merely brushed him off, looking to Ciel. That sly, evil look had not changed in his opinion. Glaring, he held Katherine tighter in hopes to quell her trembling. Seeing such a vulnerable side of the icy young woman twisted his heart.

"How unforunate to find you here, Alois," he said coolly, his eye like glittering shards of sapphire. "I thought you were dead."

The other man chuckled and swayed forward, his butler in tow. "Such a pleasure to see you as always, Ciel Phantomhive," he sang, his steel blue eyes flitting to Katherine. His smile grew sly.

"My, my...it has been a quite some time since I have laid eyes on you, my dear Katherine," he said in a patronizing tone.

Katherine glared at the man with hatred. He was the cause of her nightmares, the cause of most of her depression and anxiety. This man had stolen everything away from her, everything she had deemed important. He had made her unsuitable for a proper marriage.

Looking at him frostily, she lifted her chin to retain her dignity. "I have no desire to converse with you, Alois. You appearance disgusts me."

His grin sickingly reminded her of the past when he had held her captive in his mansion. He had looked at her with the same eyes, the same smile as he tortured her day in and day out. Chills shivered up her spine but she retained her composure. Ciel was the only one to notice the trembling motions of her body.

Brimming with barely concealed anger, Ciel glared at his opponent. "What business do you have with me, Alois?"

With a sigh, the blond haired young man paced around the edges of the picnic with his hands behind his back. He faked a pout and leaned toward Ciel.

"A little birdie told me of a wedding and I was uninvited," he sulked, his lips curling eerily as he swept past back to his original place beside his butler.

"Of course you were uninvited, you crazy lunatic," Ciel hissed, his anger getting the better of him. Sebastian stepped forward, sensing his master's distress and Claude did the same with a smile.

"It has been quite a while, Sebastian Michaelis," he said, his voice deep and tone light. Sebastian said nothing and simply scowled in disgust. He really could not stand this demon, especially since he had his eyes on his young master.

Alois stepped forward, his eyes locked on Katherine icily. It was a look that clearly stated she had done something wrong. A look she was very familiar with.

"Fancy the two of you being forced to wed. How unfortunate," he said with a sigh, leaning back with a frown. "I had always thought I would be the one to get such a prize in the end."

Ciel's eyes turned to slits and sub-consciously he shifted Katherine behind him in a protective stance. It was an effective move seeing as Alois's eyes darkened menacingly when she was no longer in sight. He did not like having his property taken away from him.

With a twisted smile, he leaned closer. "Did you know, Ciel? That girl you are about to marry is unsuitable...tainted."

Ciel frowned. How could she be tainted and unsuitable? If anything, he believed her to be the only woman who could handle him and his lifestyle. He thought back to her reactions toward the man and wondered just what had happened between the two of them.

Behind him, Leo hissed warningly with a crazed look in his eyes. He was nearing the brink of insanity and looked ready to tear him to shreds. The other two demons were solely focused on one another, forgetting everything else happening around them. Some things just did not change, he thought with a sigh of irritation. Glancing back to Alois, he treated him to a dark glare.

"I do not care about your opinions of my future wife. What you think of her does not matter to me," he said firmly, his eyes darkening until they were black shards. "However, I will ask that you refrain from appearing before her again."

He watched the carefully placed mask slip from his opponent's face and his lips twisted. "You have no right to tell me what to do with my property!" he breathed angrily.

"Property? Lady Katherine is not an item!" he shouted, enraged. This man brought out the worst in him. "She is my bride, Duke. Be careful what you say!"

The other man's muscle ticked in his jaw before he leaned back, giving up the argument with a sly smile. "We shall see, Phantomhive," he said eerily. "We shall see."

He snapped his fingers. Claude immediately returned to his side and together they disappeared. Katherine released the breath she had been holding and the violent shaking increased now that the tension had disappeared. Turning toward her, Ciel stared down at her in confusion. He did not know what to do. Gently he touched her cheek, brushing some strands of hair from her eyes as her throat worked hard to swallow the rising tears that shimmered in her eyes.

Before he could speak a word, she was removed from his hold into the arms of Leo. The demon looked angrier beyond belief, yet looked down at her with such a torn expression. With a warning glare to Ciel and Sebastian, he swept her away from sight to console her. It was a brief moment when Ciel felt a pang of jealousy. He knew more about his bride then he did and that was something that could and would not be tolerated.

Glancing back at Sebastian, he gave a nod. "This is an order," he said, a light beginning to glow behind the black material shielding his eye. "Follow them and make sure they cause no more interference. Katherine seemed very upset and I intend to find out why. Until then, keep Alois Trancy away. If they disobey...kill them both."

Sebastian bowed down low on one knee. "Yes, my lord." With that, he vanished leaving Ciel in the shade of the tree alone.

Katherine sniffled, the rest of her tears long since dried up. Gazing out, she admire the wildflowers and countryside from where Leo had taken her to soothe her aching soul. Glancing up at him, she sighed.

"I am sorry, Leo. I know you hate to see me so weak and weepy," she murmured quietly, wiping her eyes of the remaining tears.

He watched as she took a deep breath to calm herself, and regain control. Smiling, he could not help but admire her strength. She had such a hard life thus far, with the death of her family and then being kidnapped and used as a toy for Alois Trancy. His jaw ticked with pure rage. When he had discovered his mistress had been kidnapped, he had tried his best to rescue her but Claude proved to be a formidable foe. By the time he reached her, it had already been too late. He had found her naked, beaten and bruised on the stone floor with a blank stare in her eyes that he had never seen before.

Katherine could still feel the cold stone floor. Closing her eyes, she forced the images away and tried to think of something else, anything that would lock those nightmares away. He had taken away everything she held dear. Her heart clenched at the thought, suddenly remembering his sly hands touching her all over her body. Bile rose in her throat as she mentally relived that moment not so long ago.

He had taken away the one precious thing she could give Ciel, one thing that was required for a woman to properly wed a noble.

Her virginity.