"Elizabeth, please," you said with a sigh as she tried to insist upon you joining her at the Phantomhive Estate yet again. In your opinion, you barely knew the blonde, and you were frankly not interested in the least for a ball, and not just because your waltz looked as if someone was repeatedly throwing stones at your feet.

"Please, F/N! I'm begging you here! I even told Ciel I'd bring you!" Elizabeth insisted, pulling on your arm with surprising strength for being a noblewoman.

"Why'd you tell him something like that?" you asked with another exhaustive exhale. "I've told you already—I hate parties." Elizabeth puffed her cheeks out.

"Just once! For me, pleeeeease?" You tsked. Did you have to? Still, looking at those bright green eyes, you knew she wouldn't give up until you told her you would stay for at least one dance.

"Fine, Elizabeth. I'll go," you said finally, and Elizabeth clapped and giggled as if she were ten years old. Her poor mother.

<><><>

"Ah, I take it you would be the one Elizabeth mentioned last week?" the bluenette asked of you as he stepped out of the manor to receive you. He held out one hand for you to shake, a small smile on his face. "I apologize on her behalf, as I am sure she begged you to come visit. I am Ciel Phantomhive, head of the Phantomhives."

You took the hand with a small smile of your own. Ciel was quite young, although his demeanor was the opposite of Elizabeth's. He was just like most other nobles.

For a brief moment, your eyes locked together, your hands held a second too long. What you had thought to be a haircut long overdue was actually a facade to help hide the black eyepatch covering his right eye. And furthermore, the other eye, a blue the shade of a pure sapphire, seemed to lance through your soul.

The instant passed, and the Earl let go of your hand, still with his faint smile. "Come, the night air is not good for a lady's health. Let us proceed to the main hall."

You nodded and followed blindly, still recovering from the electrifying shock. Had the eye been lost? Was it damaged? Was he even human, to possess such a bright eye?

As you entered the hall, you saw what you thought to be a wraith of some sort, clad all in black and possessing cold, scarlet eyes that regarded you with a seeming indifference you were glad for.

It was only after Ciel had lead you past the man that you realized it was the head butler of the manor. Perhaps his eyes had been brown instead? Red seemed impossible. It must have been the light, yes, the light.

"Lady F/N, are you alright? You seem pale," Ciel remarked, having turned to look at you as you arrived by a buffet-style table set with dozens of hors d'oeuvres. You shook your head slightly, willing your mouth to regain the life it seemed to have lost.

"I am simply seeing impossible things; pardon me, Earl Phantomhive," you replied. "Your manor is sublime. I complement you."

"That is good to know," the Earl said with a genial smile. "Despite the fact that you have been likely forced here by my fiancé, I hope you will enjoy the famous Phantomhive Hospitality to its fullest."

"Oh, no, I was not forced to come here!" you refuted a little too quickly. "Lady Elizabeth did insist I come, but I did venture here of my own free will." Ciel only smiled wryly.

"I know how she is, Lady. You don't have to lie." You looked at the floor, a bit abashed that he knew. "Please feel free to partake of any of the appetizers you see while I have a small chat with my fiancé. Sebastian will be bringing champagne shortly, if you would like a glass."

You watched, somewhat spellbound, both by the youth and by the decoration of the manor. That was most certainly not a lie.

Three faces peering out of a door caught your attention, and you were able to perceive what appeared to be a chef, a maid and a gardener, all of which seemed to want to come out into the open but were either too afraid or too skittish to do so.

"My lady?" a deep voice inquired from behind you, and you nearly jumped to find the wra—butler, whose name you had guessed was Sebastian. As promised, he held a tray of glasses containing the pale yellow, bubbling liquid known as champagne. "Would you care for a glass?"

Cautiously, you took one, and the wraith smiled slightly, and your gaze ran back to the safety of the three more human servants, although the butler had blocked your sight. "Is something the matter, my lady?" he inquired. Sebastian seemed somewhat agitated, even though a smile lay plainly on his face.

You shook your head slightly, and when he walked away, the slit of the open door was empty. Your imagination ran wild with several ludicrous theories, including that of the servants being kept as prisoners or slaves rather than people paid to take care of the large estate.

You set your glass on the table and watched Ciel talk with Elizabeth, who was brightly telling him something, quite shocking, judging by the look on Ciel's face. The next thing you knew, Elizabeth's shoulders were taken by Ciel, who was telling her something you couldn't hear. Elizabeth's reply was still bright and cheerful. The bluenette looked back at you, his visible eye softening.

"One dance," you saw rather than heard him say. Elizabeth's face lit up, and she smiled with happily closed eyes, practically illuminating the room with the brightness of her grin.

You forgot about the odd servants as the sound of a violin began to play, Ciel walking towards you, still with the smile you were beginning to notice was insincere.

"My lady, would you care for a dance?" Ciel inquired politely, holding out his hand once more, and it was in a trance that you took it. For a brief moment, you imagined you would be swept straight off your feet.

Then he stepped on yours.

"Sorry!" he quickly apologized, his voice cracking.

"No, I'm sorry!" you replied, having accidently hit his leg with the toe of your shoes. Ciel attempted to continue, but you both fumbled on several occasions, one of you spitting a curse as someone's toes were trod upon.

You were the one who tripped and knocked the both of you to the floor. For a few moments, you lay frozen, embarrassed beyond belief at your blunder. The violin continued in the background, although it had seemed faintly comical now. You heard someone chuckling to themselves, but you didn't know who.

You eventually decided it was Ciel, and you found yourself laughing despite how mortified you were. Perhaps it was because of it.

"I take it the Lady does not favor dancing like myself?" Ciel asked, trying to stifle his chuckles.

"I regret to say I am particularly awful with waltzes," you said apologetically, and Ciel could only smile.

"It is alright; let us stand before my butler begins to suspect I enjoy laying upon the floor. The man is terribly fond of sarcasm and veiled insults." Carefully, the two of you stood up and attempted to waltz again, considerably slower this time and carefully synchronizing each of your steps to prevent another fall.

Elizabeth continued to watch with shining eyes, and you wondered at it. Was she genuinely that happy her friend was dancing with her fiancé? No, that didn't seem right. But what was it?

"Lady F/N, might I ask if you would like to stay here for a few weeks?" Ciel asked suddenly, startling you out of your concentration.

"Well...perhaps? I believe I would have to think about it..." you said, glancing at the violin player, who was smirking, looking amused with the chain of events down below.

"Ah, but of course; you must have other things planned, being the daughter of such a house as the L/N's."

"That's not what I meant," you replied, shaking your head slightly. "I feel...uneasy here. As if this manor is, if you will pardon me for saying so, haunted by demons." Ciel smirked.

"In a manner of speaking, you are perfectly correct, Lady F/N. But generally, the demons of my mansion obey me; you would not have to worry about them during your stay."

"Is that so—rry," you said, apologizing as you stepped on his foot again, making him wince. "If me staying is what would make amends for your undoubtedly swollen toes, then I will stay. But I do believe it would be better if I did not."

"Think of it as amends, then," Ciel replied with a smile. "I have not had new company in a very long time, and I believe receiving you as a guest would be rather enjoyable—please, I insist, Lady F/N." You hesitated a few moments. In the end, it was your desire to know Ciel better that drove your words.

"Then I will stay here for a little while, Earl Phantomhive."