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"Indeed," the girl agreed. "Now he get's the spend the rest of his miserable life praying for forgiveness." Isabella said at the carriage drew off.


It was organized chaos in the back kitchens of the palace. Anton was giving orders to the servers he hired to supplement the ill palace servants who would normally be helping with this. It would have been a disaster if not for Claude's help.
The banquet had been prepared that day, While Anton tended to the food, the Spider butler had set up the all the tables, place settings, decorations and even carved an ice-sculpture that was to be admired while the guests ate.

Claude watched in an corner of the receiving hall as the king's guests started trickling in. Men in suits, women in silk and satin dresses. Pearls and jewels glittered from them both.
While his wound was now healed completely, his stamina had been greatly affected, Claude was uncharacteristically exhausted from the day's work. He didn't show it though, the night's dinning and dancing had barely just begun.

Claude glanced over. "I would be most grateful, Sebastian." He said.


Isabella was wearing a dress in a very pale pink color trimmed with white lace and ribbon. Her red hair had been put up and held in place by pearl hair clips.
As the youngest (and shortest.) of the king's guest both Isabella and Ciel drew plenty attention as they waited in the receiving hall to be seated. Isabella smiled and curtsied at the complements she received. Often introducing Ciel to this Duke or that Lady of the Spanish court.
The king had requested that they waited till dinner to announce their engagement, and Isabella Torquemada introduced Ciel as her friend and hero, Because by now the Spanish court had already heard about her dramatic rescue by this brave young earl from England. They where eager to talk to him.

One of the last guests to arrive was her uncle, while the details of his disgrace was partly kept secret. Everyone knew that it was his involvement in the black market that was the cause of his lost guardianship of Isabella.
There had been snide comments behind hands, under breath, behind lace fans that his diva-misstress had abandoned him, having found a more richer benefactor.
The man didn't come along however, just behind him was a young man dressed in pale yellow suit with gold triming. It was Carlos Rivra, the famous bullfighter. The youth was tall, and darkly handsome, his black hair and coffee colored skin made his jade-green eyes stand out all the more.

"Oh, look who finally came...." Isabella pointed the two out to Ciel in a whisper.

She giggled. "Shhh, he doesn't know that, no-one does. Oh no, he's comeing this way...."
While her uncle was socializing, Carlos made his way across the room towards Ciel and Isabella. He didn't walk with that self assurance of a noble like the rest of the court, but more like a predator. His slender form wove around the other guests with an almost fluid grace. Instinctively twisting his body to avoid touching anyone in the crowded room.

Seeing movement, Claude's eye was quickly drawn to a young man walking towards the young Master and Lady. Not liking how intently he was looking at the two.

" Carlos....." Isabella acknowledged him with a frown when the young bullfighter stopped in front of her. "Nice of you to slither in." She said with smile.
Carlos responded with a smile of his own and he bowed to her "Miss Isabella, It's a pleasure to see you again. I'm glad that you are well."
"Yes..." Isabella's lace fan fluttered in her gloved hand. " I'm glad that to see that you are well and whole. I thought that for sure you'd get gored by now."
He didn't respond to the veiled sarcasm in her voice. "Nonsense! My Lady, as if that would ever happen! I am one hell of a bull fighter and i intend to stay that way." His pale green eyes drifted to the boy beside her.
Isabella snapped her fan closed to make introductions. "This is Carlos Rivera, he is one of the bull fighters my uncle sponcers. This is Earl Ciel Phantomhive from England, my friend and rescuer."
Carlos bowed polity, "An honor to meet you Lord Phantomhive. I thank you for ensuring Miss Isabella's safety. Thought I am not engaged to her anymore, she has been in my thoughts of late."

Carlos laughed loudly, several pair of eyes nearby glanced over in curiosity. "Not only are you just an immature little English brat, you are a lier as well. I have never seen you at one of my matches, and if you had tended them I would have heard of it."
"Carlos...." Isabella said warningly, gripping Ciel's arm hoping that this wouldn't turn into a fight.
The older boy continued as if he never heard Isabella. "As for her inheritance, I never wanted it. Why on earth would I want to marry the daughter of a known murderess?"
There was a collective gasp from those watching.
"I will make my own fortune in time in my own way. Why don't you go stick that up your English highborn a** Ciel Phantonhive-"

SMACK!!!

Carlo's head snapped back with the force of the blow, Isabella blinked in surprise as She looked at her uncle's glowering face. His hand was still raised to the young man. "That's enough Carlos, hold your tongue before you disgrace yourself farther."
Carlos didn't acknowledge the slap, thought the side of his face was red. He glared with hate filled eyes at the man.
"Come, we are leaving."
Carlos fell into line behind him, looking over his shoulder at Isabella, smirking. "Till the next time we meet, dear lady."
Isabella was shaking in anger and humiliation as she watched the pair leave. She let go of Ciel's arm and turned away from him.
Partly angry that Ciel had caused a scene by baiting Carlos.

Isabella pressed her lips together, looking over her shoulder at him. "I suppose that it's alright..." She took his arm again. "...But if your going to keep mouthing off like that, you could take a few lessons in subtlety."
Now that the show appeared to be over, the chattering crowd around them dispersed a little as the horn announcing that dinner was to be served soon sounded.

She sat down with a smile. They where seated at the front table, and before the servers came in with the first course, Alfonzo stood up. He didn't have to wait for every long for everyone in the room to fall silent.
"I thank you for being able to come tonight, as you know the government of Spain was able to open more boarding schools and orphanages in the past year, I want to thank all of you who donated to this charitable cause, the children are the future of Spain."
There was applause, but the king wasn't done yet. He was smiling at Isabella as the claps died away. "I also have happy announcement to make, Miss Isabella Torquemada has been returned to Spain by an admirable English lord, Earl Ciel Phantomhive." Here he picked up a glass of wine. " Lord Phantomhive, upon his arrival to our country, asked for her hand..." a low murmurer went thought the dinning room. "....Let me be the first to congratulate them both. "He raised his wine glass in Ciel and Isabella's direction. "....and Well wishes to you both."
The room broke out in loud applause.

After dinner, the guests where allowed to file into the large ball room, already music was playing. All along one side of the hall the large double doors where opened to let the cool evening air and to allow the guests to enjoy the gardens.
Claude found himself busily pouring wine into glasses that was to be served out to the guests as they lingered at the outer fringes. Both Sebastian and Sammael where serving the glasses freely. Anton, the king's man, was once again busy tending to the security around the palace. Balls where such busy stressful affairs for most human butlers.

Isabella found herself dancing in the beginning, not with Ciel, but with other young men who good-naturally, 'stole' the young lady away from Lord Phantomhive for a dance.
While she was off dancing in the throng, Ciel was practically mobbed by women of all ages, Young women who all fawned for his attention, older ladies who seemed to want to pet his hair and pinch his cheeks.

When Isabella looked over at him, she wanted to laugh. He looked like a cornered little animal. Thinking that this would be a good time to rescue him, she pulled away from her latest dance partner. "Thank you, that was lovely sir. I want to dance with someone else now." Shaking her head at another young man's offer, She pulled off the lace shawl around her shoulders, Dancing had made her very warm and she had lost one of the many pearl hairclips a few lose tendrils of red hair falling on her bare slender shoulders. More then a few pairs of male eyes glanced at her with interest, Isabella was a very attractive young lady and her blossoming beauty only promised that she would be come a woman that every man could only dream of having.
Isabella ignored the glances and walked past the males who where waiting to dance with her. Miss Isabella only had eyes for her fiance.
"It's getting rather warm in here...." She said, smiling.

She'd always loved that red outfit he wore. She took his arm and winked playfully at him. "Lets go outside, in the garden."


Claude had noticed that the Spanish had already consumed a great quantity of wine already early in the evening, Balls like this one tended to progress until the early hours of the morning and the hired staff from the restaurants where not looking forwards to it.
As it was, He needed to grab another case of wine or two from the cellars. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed a pair of lovers hidden in a dark corner. He frowned when he recognized the uniform of one of the hired servers, his head in between the legs of a finely dressed lady. He sighed and decided not to disturb them.
Claude found the wine easily enough, and silently made his way out of the cellar.

"Oooh, I've been looking for you Spider."
Claude paused at the sound of the female voice. "Surger...."
The pink haired succubus cleaved into his back. "I don't suppose that you remember your promise? I already did my end of the deal." She traced a circle on his back.
"Yes I do." Claude put the cases of wine down for a moment and turned towards her. "I was not in the best condition last night nor the night before....."
Which was true, he had not been able to have sex while he was recovering, he had barely touched Sebastian at all these past two days.
"That's fine." Sugar said. "I prefer it nice and potent."
"That couple in the cellar, what that your work?" He asked.
"Yes, it takes so little to make human's fall into there temptations.....What? don't look at me like that. I'm doing that Nobel lady a favor, Her real husband's seed is lacking and they be will be happy to finally have a child after all these years."
Claude sighed. Whatever. "I am rather busy tonight. It seems that you ar too. Perhaps we can do this at some other time."
"Awww~, how about we make this a quick one?"
Claude stared at her as she knelt before him, licking her lips. "A very quick one.....but on one condition."
Sugar looked up at him. "Condition
"I want that bottle of Aphrodisiac."

One of the tools that succubus and incubus used was a liquid that finely distilled from their tears. Putting a single tiny drop in a glass of water or another drink was deadly potent, a sip of such water was only needed for two humans to fall into lust. It was dangerous as well, when it was not properly mixed with water, it became a poison. That not even demons where immune.