For Love of a Child: Prologue

“Ho? What’s this? This is the first time I’ve been summoned by a prostitute” the demon smirked.

“Is there a problem with that? You’ll take my soul regardless of my station won’t you?!” the woman snapped.

“Heh, of course…now what is it you want in exchange?”

The woman bit her lip, her hand stroking her stomach, “…I…want my daughter to have a happy life…away from this brothel. I don’t want her to become a whore like her mother!”

“Is that all? Very well, but I do warn you, you may not live to see your child achieve such happiness…”

“…Then my soul shall remain in purgatory and watch from there. We both know you won’t devour it until my wish has been granted” she gazed at him with sharp dark eyes.

“Heh, you seem quite unafraid, I admire that in a woman” the demon grinned.

“So, we have a deal, then?” the woman raised an eyebrow.

“…How could I possibly refuse?”

 

“I was unaware you had another aunt aside from Madame Red and Marchioness Midford…” Sebastian began. Ciel glanced up at him as the carriage made its way along the forest path.

“Lady Taiyo is my father’s half-sister. She was born out of wedlock to my grandfather and a dark-skinned prostitute down in east end so her existence was not widely advertised” he replied.

“If that was the case, how are you even certain she is a member of the Phantomhive family?” Sebastian began.

“Lady Taiyo’s mother was my grandfather’s favorite, after she was born there was no doubt in the woman’s mind that she was his daughter. Her mother had sent countless letters reaching out to my grandfather in the hopes that he would acknowledge my aunt and free her from the life that awaited her as the child of a prostitute…”

“So he adopted her?”

“Feh, of course not, if she was his child it would bring shame to the Phantomhive name. It was my father who later found her and inducted her into the family, my grandfather must have felt guilty because as soon as her mother died he arranged for her to be placed in a noble’s house as a maid”

The carriage slowed to a halt in front of a lavish manor surrounded by forest.

“Sebastian, be sure unload the toys first…” Ciel began as the butler helped him out of the carriage.

“Cousin Ciel!!”

Ciel looked up as the two children came bounding up to him, the boy and girl had the same glowing golden green eyes and pale strawberry blonde hair.

“Tensei, Ginjiro, I trust you two have been behaving well”

“Ooh! You missed our birthday, Cousin Ciel!!” The little boy stomped his foot.

“…We really wanted you to come…” the girl mumbled staring at her shoes.

“Please forgive my inattentiveness, I hope the presents I brought will make up for it” Ciel smiled wryly.

“Presents?!”

“Can we open them now?!”

“Children!”

The twins jumped, glancing back at the tall statuesque man standing in the doorway. His hair was an odd silver and eyes molten gold.

“That is no way address the Earl Phantomhive, especially since he came all this way just to visit” the man chided.

“…yes father…” the children mumbled.

“Inside both of you…you can view your presents in there…” he added with a smirk.

“Yes Father!!” they cheered dashing inside.

“Spoiling them as usual, Lord Taiyo?” Ciel began approaching the older man.

“Hmph, this from the boy who brings my children a chest full of new toys with every visit. Come, my wife has been frantic for your company” Lord Taiyo said leading the way into the house. Ciel followed the stoic man through the main hall and into the parlor, a woman with long dark red hair and caramel skin sat in a chair the twins gathered around her.

Despite her radiance she gave off a very motherly air. She gazed up at the two gentlemen with emphatic green eyes.

“Aunt Fawkeisha, I hope you are well” Ciel removed his hat, bowing his head.

“Oh Ciel!” The woman cried rising gracefully from her seat she hurried over to him. She took his face in her hands.

“It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you, you look more like your lovely mother every time I do” she smiled kissing his forehead.

“You’re embarrassing the boy” Lord Taiyo remarked.

“Oh hush! We’re family, we’re allowed to embarrass each other” Lady Taiyo scolded.

“Mommy! Cousin Ciel bought us lots of toys!” Ginjiro beamed.

“Did he now?” she smiled sitting between the two on the couch.

“…my butler is bringing them in now…” Ciel remarked taking a seat in an armchair.

“How are you, Ciel? I hardly get to see you so I’m always worrying you’re starving to death in that mansion of yours…” Lady Taiyo began.

“I should be asking you about your current health, aunt. How is the baby doing?” he smiled.

“Just fine, he should be due in another month” she smiled stroking her swelled stomach.

“I want it to be a little brother” Ginjiro began, pressing a hand to his mother’s stomach.

“Nah-uh! There’re too many boys in this house!!” Tensei remarked. Lady Taiyo chuckled, stroking her daughter’s curly hair.

“Young Master, I’ve brought in the gifts as you requested, they’re in the front hall…” Sebastian began as he entered the room. Lady Taiyo seemed to stiffen the moment he entered the room. Their eyes met briefly, Sebastian’s lit with familiarity.

“…And…who is this, Ciel?”

“Eh? This is my butler Sebastian…I’m surprised you haven’t met before this…”

“Madame” Sebastian bowed.

 

Sebastian entered his quarters to find Lady Taiyo seated on his bed.

“Is something the matter, madam? It is most unbecoming of a woman of your social position and current marital status to be sneaking around at night…” He smiled politely.

“…I know what you are…” she said, all frailty gone, her eyes stared into his with a sort of grim determination. Sebastian said nothing, his eyes burning with an unholy flame.

“What are you doing with my nephew, demon?” she asked coldly.

“…You know the answer to that, he formed a contract with me in order to escape those who had imprisoned him. It will be fulfilled once he has taken revenge”

“I see” Lady Taiyo sighed closing her eyes. Her hands clenched her skirt, “…You’re that same demon aren’t you? The one my mother gave her soul to for my happiness…”

There was a pause before Sebastian dropped to one knee in a bow, “…It truly is good to see you again, Miss Fawks”

“…you would visit my mother at the brothel, you always wore a different face but I knew it was you…”

Flashback…

“Oh, did you hurt yourself?”

Fawkeisha blinked up at the man through her tears, he bent to her level, inspecting her bloodied knee. She watched him in scared silence, even without tears fogging her vision his visage seemed to steadily drift in and out of focus as if she were seeing a mirage.

She flinched as he pressed a handkerchief to the wound.

“There, there now. I’m sure your mother would be most distressed to find her one and only child in such a state. She loves you so very much after all…” he remarked, his eyes burning brightly.

“…you aren’t human…” Fawkeisha stated her voice quivering with fear. The creature’s eyes fixed on her face, she flinched as he caressed her cheek.

“…What a bright child you are…” he smiled.

“Oi! What are you doing there?!”

Fawkeisha looked up to see her mother stomping down the stairs.

“Part of our agreement was that you’d leave my daughter alone! Do you want to breach our contract that badly?!” she cried, indignant.

“…Indeed not, Miss Niobi…” the gentleman nodded rising to his feet, “…I’ll be seeing you soon”

He tipped his hat, continuing down the dark London Street.

“Are you alright, Fawkeisha? Did he do anything to you?” Niobi cried gathering the girl into her arms.

“…My…knee…” she began, glancing at the shiny pink scar.

…End Flashback

Tears ran races down her cheeks, “…But Ciel…my poor sweet nephew…! Why did such a cruel fate have to befall one so innocent?”

“It is often how things turn out, my lady. You are very lucky your mother cared for you so much…”

“…Yes…every day I thank God in prayer for giving me such a loving and devoted mother…” she conceded. She then gazed at Sebastian with pleading eyes, “Can nothing be done about Ciel’s contract? Would you accept my soul in his stead?”

“Indeed not, my lady, my contract is with the young master and the young master alone. No substitutions would be accepted…”

“…I thought as much…no wonder my mother abandoned her faith…”

“It’s a wonder you never abandoned your faith…” Sebastian smirked. Fawks glared at him, clutching at the cross around her neck.

“…If there is such a thing as demons then surely there are angels and therefore a god”

“How logical of you” He conceded.

“It’s what mother always believed. Even if her prayers weren’t being answered that never meant there was no God. It just meant she was far below His notice, she believed she was going to Hell for her sinfulness so it wasn’t so perverse to make a pact with a demon”