#cielain

The countryside strolled past them as the horses walked along the old path. The last time Ciel saw a normal tree was years ago. The vegetation in the Demon Realm delved into shades of blue, purple, but never green. Alas, the atmosphere inside the carriage was less than desirable. Sir Bluhen sat across from Ciel. Meanwhile, Lu and the Grand Duke shared the carriage in front of theirs.

“Have I caught your eye?” Sir Bluhen smirked as he continued to gaze out from the small window.

“Why did you insist on this arrangement?”

“I think you’re quite special,” Sir Bluhen said.

“What do you mean?”

“I like you. A lot.” He turned to face Ciel and crossed his legs. “By the way, please call me Ainchase from now on. Ain is also fine.”

“...A fake name?”

“Bluhen is an alias.” Sir Ain chuckled. “I also don’t need even more strange looks from the priestesses.

“I see.”

“You’ve heard about the assassins from Richter, right? That’s where you come in. Your qualifications are quite good.”

“There must be a reason for not using one of your people to-“

“With the... enemy around, we have to resort to our own methods.”

Ciel raised an eyebrow. Sir Ainchase leaned back, smiling at Ciel’s expression.

“Regardless, we’ll be seeing each other more often.”

Ciel sighed before returning his attention to the outside.

***

In the textbooks, the capital city was drawn as a solemn figure, standing like a picturesque relic of history. As they neared the entrance, the landscape warped and proved those textbooks were incorrect. The supposed white walls, tall buildings, and a single tower were nowhere in sight. Instead, a strangeness encroached; part of the brilliant blue sky turned into something akin to peeling paint. Beneath such was a mixture of purple and black. The wrongness was neither a darkness, nor something Ciel saw from the Demon Realm.

“So you see it,” Sir Ainchase said. “That is the result of the enemy’s movements.”

“Surely you must have a good explanation.”

“Reality, space itself really, has been changed into a troublesome obstacle. Perhaps corrupted is a better word.”

“Then how will we pass through? Will we need to eventually fight this corruption?”

Sir Ainchase shook his head. “Hopefully, we can avoid such a situation. As for the former, just watch.”

Both carriages were brought to a halt; Ciel looked out the window. They were at the edge of a barrier made from distorted space. He heard of it before in the reports, but the spies still managed to infiltrate and gather intel. One of them even mapped out the possible entrances. Their current location, however, was not one of those supposed areas. The Grand Duke left his carriage and approached the barrier. Stopping before it, he raised his hand. A white, glass-like sword began to form. The sword’s elegance and distinct shape was unlike any blade Ciel had seen with his own eyes. With the blade, the Grand Duke cleaved the barrier. It cut through the warped space and created a passageway. The weapon dissipated, and he returned to his carriage.

“It’s a shame he has to do that every time,” Sir Ainchase commented.

Once the second carriage passed through, the space bended to seal the hole.

In the growing silence, Ciel recalled a previous conversation with Lu. It was one of their many discussions of how Grand Duke Richter was able to take control of the duchy. They had heard he owned a particular weapon: Fünft · Glänzendes Schwert, the Shining Fifth Sword. Its original wielder was a minor god who directly served Goddess Ishmael. To their dismay, the records only mentioned this minor god as the Divine Executor.

“Divine right certainly persuades a lot of people,” Lu had mused, setting aside her teacup. “Hence why Timoria’s backing from Angra Mainyu was used as a reason against my claim to the throne.”

Ciel skimmed the excerpt written on the document again. “‘I am the Judge who stands in the full light of Ishmael’s providence. To impose the Goddess’s will is my duty. Come forth, Fünft · Glänzendes Schwert,’” he read aloud.

Lu giggled. “How dramatic. Yet supposing such a thing does exist, I wonder how it shall do against our Sefirot Phantasma.”

“I shudder at the amount of cleanup I would have to do,” he had muttered.

Now, the two men regrouped with the Grand Duke and Lu. She flapped her wings and began to float off the ground.

“Is that how you will greet the priestesses?”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear anything, Grand Duke.”

Ciel swallowed his exasperation. “Your Majesty, please return to His Grace’s side. I doubt a lover’s quarrel will get us anywhere.”

She realized what he meant, scowled, then landed next to the Grand Duke. Lu held out her hand to him.

“Dear, may I ask you to be my escort for today?”

“I understand.” He took her hand in his own.

Sir Ainchase cleared his throat. “You two deal with the priestesses. Sir Ciel and I have our own date to do.”

He dragged Ciel in another direction, waving goodbye to the Grand Duke and Lu. Before Ciel could ask anything, Sir Ainchase began to explain the history of the duchy and various buildings. He pointed out services such as the alchemist, the blacksmith, an accessory shop. Ciel was thankful Sir Ainchase let go of his arm while they strolled. The marble statues, the canals, the gilded accents on the architecture were intricate. It had its charm, but Ciel preferred the Demon Realm or Lanox. The latter was a faded memory from his childhood, but he could never forget the smell of smoke or the crackling fires from the forges. He, Abysser, and Anular planned to visit that place again but never could set aside the time.

“...Sir Ciel?”

Ciel blinked, seeing Sir Ainchase’s perplexed look. “My apologies. What were you saying?”

“Would you like to see the Giant El?”

They had stopped at the entrance of the El Tower. The spies’ report mentioned a giant rock housed in the interior of this facility. Ciel scanned his surroundings. There was a lack of knights and servants even.

“For something so important, should you not have more personnel?”

“Unfortunately, I am the personnel. Don’t worry, the priestesses also have a duty of guarding the Giant El if I’m away.”

As they entered, a hooded figure was there to greet them. Dressed in golden and aquamarine garments, she bowed before Sir Ainchase.

“Welcome back.” Her voice was gentle like a flowing spring.

“Is everything going well, Lady Sasha?”

She nodded. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Who is this?”

Ciel bowed. “My name is Ciel, servant to Queen Luciela R. Sourcream.”

Sasha frowned when he said Lu’s name.

“Her Majesty is with Richter right now. Why don’t you meet them since I’m here now?” Sir Ainchase winked.

“All right. Please, excuse me.” She rushed off before casting another look at Ciel.

“Does she not like Demons?”

“I don’t know. Now then, this way.”

Ciel followed him, and several corridors later, they arrived in a single room. In the center was the Giant El. The crystal sat upon a floating pedestal-like object, surrounded by winged statues. A teal-whitish glow emanated from the Giant El; the color was similar to the Grand Duke’s hair.

Sir Ainchase gazed at the El. “I’m still in disbelief that Richter and I are still here.”

“How so?”

“Restoring the Giant El should have killed us. But as you can see, we’re still here.”

“If you do not mind me asking then, who or what saved you?”

“The Holy Creator, Elria. In exchange, I am his servant now.” Sir Ainchase shrugged. “Richter can enforce the Goddess’s will in my stead.” He turned his attention back to the El; the smile on his face did not quite reach his eyes. The beginning of a palpable solemness emerged from his shadow. 

“I see. Your gods are quite different from those in the Demon Realm.”

“...Let’s talk about your actual duties here. Formally speaking, you are Richter’s bodyguard. So when needed, you’ll be by his side. No different than protecting Her Majesty.” He paused. “Otherwise, you’ll act as an assistant to his advisor. His advisor, of course, being me.”

“I suppose we can figure out a schedule.”

“Right. So, our first mission. Since there’s only me, Richter, and the priestesses, we’re limited in terms of who can go where, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I’m quite concerned about the… lack of servants and guards.”

Sir Ainchase waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. “We don’t need more of them. What we need are the El Masters, the humans who should be actually guarding the Giant El.”

“I don’t think I can be of much help in training El Masters.”

Before Ciel could react, Lu stood up.

 “I refuse.“

 “It is only temporary,” Grand Duke Ishmael said. “Do you not have other things to protect you?”

 Ciel furrowed his brow. Callousness aside, the Grand Duke said nothing wrong, and his request was within their conditions. For example, they would not merge their territories together after marriage.

 Another one was that they can request aid from each other so long as their subjects remain unharmed.

 Ciel cleared his throat. “What do you need me for?”

 “I have become a target for assassinations.”

 “Humans?”

 “...I suppose they are a group of humans.”

 “So you need another bodyguard.”

 “And it would be too suspicious if you asked your own people?” Lu sighed.

 “The priestesses also need proof from your side about the engagement. Isn’t having her personal knight appear before them more than enough?”

 “Tell us more about these assassins,” Lu said.

 “I only have speculations.” The Grand Duke looked between her and Ciel. “Consider them nothing more than heretics for now.”

 “Do you know who their leader is? Their base of operations?”

 Grand Duke Ishmael shook his head.

 “Your Majesty, Your Grace, it is getting late. We can continue the discussion in the morning.” Ciel smiled. “Your Grace, please allow me to escort you to your room.”

 Ciel disliked the Grand Duke being a hard read. In addition, trying to pry information from him was a futile effort. Grand Duke Ishmael either ignored him or gave a vague answer. They walked in silence to the guest room.

 “Rest well, Your Grace.”

 “Good night.”

 Once the door closed, Ciel returned to Lu. She sat at her dresser.

 Lu handed a brush to him. “...What do you think, Ciel?”

 “I’m willing to go.” He began to untangle her hair.

 “Then I shall accompany you.”

 “Your Majesty-“

 “I refuse to let you go there alone. If something happened, I...” Lu took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to be in danger because of me again.”

 “...Understood.”

--

When he reached the armory, several knives flew toward Ciel. He ducked, and the weapons dissipated before hitting the wall. Lord Abysser scoffed, sulking Ciel dodged his attack for the umpteenth time.  The girl next to Lord Abysser snickered. Their military uniforms needed another round of stitching to Ciel’s dismay.

 “My apologies for appearing so late at night,” Ciel greeted. “If you need to rest now, Your Highness, I will visit at another time.”

 The Steel Queen’s Legion was led by its chiliarch, Princess Timoria. She held the right to inherit the Demon Realm’s throne but allowed Lu to rule instead. Princess Timoria’s reputation alone sent shivers down almost anyone’s spine. The Torchlight Demon, the Sovereign of Catastrophe, Lu’s older sister held an extensive list of titles. She shared one title with Lord Abysser, her second-in-command: Lord of Terror.

 “Skip the formalities, knight. We’re friends, no?” Princess Timoria smirked.

 “Her Majesty and I will be visiting the Grand Duchy of Elrianode.”

 “So I have to babysit the Demon Realm until you come back?”

 “Yes.”

 “Has to do with His Grace?”

 “Correct.”

 Princess Timoria clicked her tongue. “Is that it?”

 “Please tell your spies to start looking into a person known as Sir Bluhen.”

 “Hey, we don’t have an unlimited supply of people,” Lord Abysser said.

 “Since Her Majesty and I will be there ourselves, you can give new orders to a few of them.”

 Lord Abysser cursed under his breath.

 After finishing his discussions with them, Ciel headed to the Asmodeus Amphitheater. The open space, circular building was a relic of the Demon Realm’s past. Despite the former Demon King never holding events in there, the amphitheater served as a good attraction for visitors. Ciel never liked its existence when he first arrived in the Demon Realm, and his feelings toward it worsened since. After Lu claimed the throne, she planned to demolish the building because of the damages it suffered from previous battles.   Repairing would be a waste of resources. But Lu needed a leash, so the amphitheater stayed.

 Ciel stood at the entrance to the amphitheater.

 “It’s you.”

 A woman wearing a black dress floated towards him. In her hand was a tome, the Codex Gigas. With it, she was able to stabilize her rampant demonic energy and maintain her current form indefinitely. She kept it within a special necklace most of the time, but Ciel guessed she found something of interest.

 “Miss Iblis, I am here to inform you that Her Majesty and I will be leaving the Demon Realm temporarily.”

 “And?”

 “Please don’t cause any trouble for Her Highness and Her Majesty.”

 Miss Iblis was also a princess, but she forfeited all titles of royalty to pursue her passion: destruction. She managed the Asmodeus Amphitheater to torture unlucky individuals. As long as Miss Iblis kept her activities to the amphitheater, Lu and Princess Timoria wouldn’t interfere. Anular also participated in Miss Iblis’s games, and together with her they were the Steel Queen’s Hellhounds.

 Ciel looked around. “Where is Anular?”

 “Resting. I’ve... heh, found a new toy.”

 “It must be an impressive one.”

 Miss Iblis’s grin widened. “He’s fun for a human.”

 “You sound as if you’re in love.”

 “I want to ruin his pretty face and mess with him until he begs for the sweet release of death.“

 Ciel nodded at Miss Iblis’s brimming in sadistic ecstasy. “What did he look like?”

 “He wore a terribly ugly coat. Black and green.”

 “...Gray hair? Green eyes?”

 “Oh, you’ve also met him?”

 “Yes. More importantly, you let him go?”

 Miss Iblis huffed. “We made a deal. He could leave if he managed to defeat Anular and stand on equal ground against me.”

 Ciel asked several more questions before leaving. On his walk back to his private quarters, Ciel reviewed what he knew so far. Based on the information from Miss Iblis, Sir Bluhen visited the amphitheater after their meeting in the garden. Whether he wandered over there by coincidence or had a certain motive, Ciel couldn’t tell. Sir Bluhen also possessed the skills to fight against a Demon who was as strong as Lu. With the mystery of the Grand Duke’s friend growing, Ciel was frustrated. His best bet was to ask the man himself.

--

 “So that is your decision,” Grand Duke Ishmael said.

 He and Lu were seated at the dining table. Ciel walked into the room carrying two plates of Honey Honey Waffles. One was decorated in honey, butter, blueberries, and other fruits; the other in only honey. Ciel placed the food before them.

 “Do you have any objections?” Lu asked as she cut her waffle into pieces.

 “I do not.”

 They moved onto discussing minor topics, but Ciel had no interest in listening. He rushed out to prepare their luggage once the maids arrived. The Grand Duke told them the carriages would arrive at the designated location by noon. After packing clothes and necessities, Ciel walked to the armory. Lord Abysser was there, cleaning his knives.

 “Here.” Ciel handed him a report. “Make sure to inform Her Highness and your spies as well.”

 After skimming through its contents, Lord Abysser’s expression changed.

 “What do you think?”

 Lord Abysser set the paper on the table. “Well, I can see why you’re so interested in him now. Looks like Marbas will see some action.”

 “I don’t intend to fight him.”

 Lord Abysser imitated Ciel’s voice and said, “Unless he harms Her Majesty.”

 “You’ll keep an eye on Miss Iblis while we’re away, correct?”

 “Only because you and I care for that fool of hers.”

 “It was his decision to serve her like how we-“

 “I know, I know. But in exchange, you’ll visit Verni and Terre? For us.”

 The party’s glitter and laughter was a dream in the distance. Ciel could never stomach the suffocating atmosphere. He stood outside with the warm embrace of moonlight near his shadow. The facades and faux kindness was no different than Lanox’s crime-tainted alleyways. Lu always noticed he was uncomfortable despite his best attempts to hide it. As a result, she allowed him to escape to the serenity of the palace’s garden whenever she hosted a ball. Ciel insisted he could tolerate parties, especially if it meant ensuring her safety. But the Queen was stubborn and reminded him she could defend herself. Ciel strolled past the fountain and into the hedge maze. He memorized the way out long ago. As Ciel turned the corner, a sea of flowers greeted him. In the center stood the largest flower, taller than even he; its purple petals reaching to touch the night.

 In the Demon Realm, the palace’s garden had another name: the Garden of Haures. A maze teeming with flowers from the Demon Realm and Elrios was also home to the famous Haures flowers. Many visitors praised their beauty, but little did they know Ciel was responsible for clearing the pest problem that occurred when the Haures flowers bloom.

 Ciel sighed, recalling the group of monsters that appeared the other day because of the Haures flowers’ scent. He shouldn’t be upset at that damn Annular for planting them; after all, Miss Iblis kept the poor man busy. In the rare chances he had a break, Annular would be here, tending to the garden.

 Ciel approached a patch of iridescent, azure flowers. Under the moon, they looked straight out of an oil painting. Lu liked these flowers in particular because they matched Ciel’s hair color. He cared for this patch personally, and often she would ask for him to prepare bouquets of them to display around the palace.

 “Oh my, shouldn’t a knight be accompanying his master?”

 “Her Majesty is currently with the Grand Duke. Unless you are implying His Lordship cannot protect her,” Ciel said. He turned around and narrowed his eyes.

 The owner of that sing-song voice wore a smirk. Ciel presumed the man in front of him was a noble. With a fur-lined, extravagant coat, he at the very least held some sort of title. However, Ciel did not recall green and black being fashionable colors in Elrios.

 “I was merely trying to begin a conversation. Shall we start over by introducing ourselves?”

 “I am Ciel, servant of Queen Luciela R. Sourcream.”

 “Yes, I know. Nice to meet you, Sir Ciel.” The man‘s smile somehow became more irritating.

 “And what is your name?”

 “Sir Bluhen works just fine.”

 “Well, Sir Bluhen, I do not believe we’ve met before.”

 “Everyone knows of the demonic wench who picked up a half-demon stray.” Seeing Ciel’s hand move toward one of his shotguns, Bluhen giggled. “My apologies.”

 “Your tongue certainly likes to flap.” Ciel relaxed ever so slightly.

 “As long as Richter doesn’t mind-“

 “Disrespecting Her Majesty’s fiancé is no different than disrespecting her.”

 Bluhen waved his hand. “He and I are... what‘a the word... oh, friends. Please be at ease.”

 “Is that so?” Ciel frowned.

 The spies mentioned nothing of friends. The Grand Duchy of Elrianode’s sovereign was either found alone or with the clergy. In addition, Grand Duke Ishmael disliked humans. How could this one be any different? Regardless, no reports contained a description that matched Bluhen. While Ciel mulled over the possibilities, Bluhen moved closer. He squatted down and pointed at the patch of flowers.

 “What are they called?”

 “Lacrimosa Blossoms. Some of the older Demons refer to them as the Flowers of Requiem.”

 “They’re quite nice. Reminds me of forget-me-nots.”

 “Do you like forget-me-nots?”

 After eyeing one of the flowers, Bluhen stood up. “You can say that. Richter is quite fond of them as well. It’s a shame we can’t grow flowers back home.”

 “...Are you really friends with His Lordship?”

 “All right, the truth is I’m his lover.”

 “Excuse me?”

 “Is there a problem?” Bluhen leaned closer to Ciel and whispered, “He can be quite aggressive, but I’m sure Her Majesty can make him submit to her whim.”

 Ciel felt the warm breath against his neck. Bluhen took a step back. He chuckled at Ciel’s expression. “I’m kidding of course.”

 “You...”

 “It was fun talking to you, Sir Ciel. But I’m afraid I have to go. Send Her Majesty my regards.” Bluhen winked before walking away.

 Lu and the Grand Duke were still together when Ciel entered the ballroom. The event had ended and the servants started to clean up. Leftover food was to be given away, decorations to be stored until next time, and any messes were to be eliminated. Ciel watched the maids and footmen to ensure they didn’t slack off. It would be a few weeks before the marble tiles saw another evening of dancing. Then his attention turned to the couple. To match Grand Duke Ishmael’s white clothes, she wore a white, backless dress. Embroidered patterns of gold lines the sleeves.

 The couple looked good together albeit funny. Lu was the shorter one between her and the Grand Duke. Wearing high-heeled shoes helped to an extent. Ciel couldn’t imagine the Grand Duke acknowledging the obvious height difference. Neither could anyone else, yet the Grand Duke always leaned down to be within reach. Perhaps their alliance was too important to lose.

 Lu touched the Grand Duke’s face.

 “It’s okay to admit you’re tired.” Her voice was soft. She caressed his cheek until he caught her wrist.

 “What about you, Luciela?”

 “I’m used to faking smiles all the time.”

 “You do not have to do so in front of me.”

 Ciel was unaffected by their exchange of sweet words. He glanced at the servants. They continued to do their duties, but once the couple was away, they would start to gossip.

 Ciel cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, please return to your room. Your Grace, I have also prepared a room for you to stay in.”

 “Nonsense, Ciel. We’ll be sharing a room,” Lu said.

 “Understood. Allow me to escort you back  then.”

 The two followed Ciel. He had a feeling the couple were holding hands while their footsteps echoed through the empty halls.  The Palace of Abaddon was a wonder of architecture. Guests would often stop to marvel at the paintings, but Grand Duke Ishmael didn’t bat an eye. Ciel opened the door to Lu’s bedchambers. He was the last one to enter and closed the door behind him.

 “You may stop pretending now,” Ciel stated.

 Lu sighed in relief. She sat on the edge of bed. “Hey Ciel, what do you think?”

 “Of what?”

 She gestured to the Grand Duke who stood on the other side of the room. “I feel he needs to be more expressive.”

 “I believe our performance is adequate enough for the public.” Any semblance of gentleness had been replaced with the cold, monotone, real authority belonging to the Grand Duke.

 Ciel scratched his head. “The narrative we agreed to wasn’t violated as far as I could tell.”

 The Steel Queen and the Grand Duke had a chance encounter, and multiple rendezvous were enough to break through the defenses around their hearts. Some nobles liked the idea of a love which transcended race, so the story spread throughout the Demon Realm. Of course, the people outside the Demon Realm were another story. A follower of Goddess Ishmael falling in love with not just a Demon, but the Steel Queen herself was unbelievable. That was another issue they needed to address. At the very least, there was time to change public opinion.

 Ciel scrutinized the Grand Duke. The Grand Duchy of Elrianode was without a sovereign for centuries; according to various reports, the Lady of El and her El Masters were the government in the past. Then, the region and more was known merely as Elrianode. Yet one of the El Masters betrayed the Lady of El and his fellow Masters, leading to the explosion of the Giant El. The destruction ruined Elrianode and the land. Now the grand name of Elrianode was a shadow of its former splendor. Lu and Ciel speculated many times why the priestesses, the remains of Elrianode’s past, agreed to elect someone to take the mantle of Grand Duke. They thought of many reasons, but none of them held definitive weight.

 “What is it, Mr. Half-Demon?” Grand Duke Ishmael glared at him.

 The Grand Duke’s dislike of anything related to Demons was just as palpable as his distaste for humans. Ciel withheld his exasperation. “Do you know of Sir Bluhen?”

 “Is he your knight?” Lu asked.

 “Sir... Bluhen is often tasked with handling domestic affairs. Because he had spare time, he insisted on following me here.”

 Lu nodded. “Does he know?”

 “He is aware. Regardless, I would like to act upon the conditions we set before.”

 “...I suspected as much.” Lu sighed. “Well then, Grand Duke Ishmael. What can I do to ease your burdens?”