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Aster Vow	By : Elleyis Category: > Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji ???) Views: 1134 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler, aka Kuroshitsuji or any of the character there in. Black Butler is the property of Yana. I am making no money from this.

Chapter List
- 9
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The bathroom was lined with exotic perfumes, oils, lotions, and all such luxurious items. The scent of rose and lavender penetrated the steamy wash room air. In the hot water of a large drop in tub Meena West carefully rubbed salve over the bruised and battered backside of Hannah Annafellows. In her former life as a servant Meena was a cook but her mother taught her all sorts of useful skills. An old herbal remedy her mama once used on her when she had cut her finger on a large knife seemed to be working wonders on maid. Though Meena had never seen the medicine work so quickly before.
~*~
The dark skinned woman first discovered Hannah’s injures six days ago. She asked the maid to try on a few of the fine clothes she herself was offered. Yes Mrs. West told her husband she would gather information from Hannah but her true intent was to see that no more harm came to the poor thing. She would see to that Hannah was treated like an honored guest. It was the least she could do for someone who practically saved her life.

There were no qualms from the curvaceous woman. She did as she was asked and slowly removed her apron and the rest of her uniform. Meena was busy picking out a suitable dress of a dark green affair. So when she had turned to give the chosen piece to the handmaiden her eyes almost bulged from her head. ‘I thought she stuffed her bra, but their real!’ The maid’s breasts were more than ample as they hung perfectly firm and round on her chest. Meena blushed and turned her head away part from wonder and part from feeling wholly inadequate herself.
“Is something the matter?” The courteous servant asked.
“No, no, nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I,” Meena turned her face back toward Hannah feeling that she acting rude by not looking the woman in the eyes. “I just think Im rather plain, and flat compared to you,” the swarthy woman honestly replied.
Hannah giggled from her blunt words. Her gentle melodious voice radiated with kindness. Meena felt relieved and began to smile. An air of unspoken silence was broken and somehow she knew would be free to act and speak like her true self around Miss Annafellows. When the laughter finally stopped Meena walked over to the vixen and began to help with the gown. “Well then, I think this dress looks better on you. Let me help you put it on.” That’s when she had seen them. Blackish blue spots and deep scars ran across the maid’s back.
“Hannah,” the shocked woman spoke as she as touched the edges of a long laceration that had yet to heal, “did the Earl do this to you?” Annafellows did not answer. Meena unceremonious grabbed the woman by the arm and lead her to the wash room. There she had maid sit on a small stool. Meena quickly rummaged through the oils atop the sink’s counter she searched for two bottles. Finding them she then took a wash bowl to fill with cool water and set it aside. Hannah watched her in quiet curiosity.
With urgency the woman rushed out of the room to pull the cable wire leading to a bell system that ran directly to the servant’s quarters. In no time flat Thomspon, Timber, and Canterbury knocked at the door. The heavy wooden entrance quickly opened and Meena gave the three a hard look. The triplets were surprised to say the least. The face that greeted them was seething with contempt and looked as though it wanted to throttle them. “You three bring me five crushed garlic cloves, one chopped onion, mustard oil, lemon juice, turmeric powder, a mortar, and pestle immediately!” Before the pages could bow Meena slammed the door shut in their identical faces.
The worried lady returned to her patient and began to slip lavender and rose oil into the water. When the concoction was done she took a small linen cloth from the counter dipped it the bowl. Taking a deep breath the exicted woman calmed herself. After wringing the excess water from the towel she politely asked Hannah for permission to treat her back. The servant gave it. Great care was taken not acerbate the ravaged skin.
When the triplets returned holding a small basket of the items Meena had requested she greeted them with another seething glare. “What took you so long?!” Without even a thank you she snatched the items from them and shut door in their faces again.
Outside the door triplets whispered to each other. “It was only a minute,” Thomspon griped. “She reminds me of a witch,” Timber added. “Scary,” Canterbury finished and then all departed
Inside Meena set to work grinding up the powders, garlic, onion, and added the lemon juice until it became sticky paste. “Hannah this might sting a little but it will help with the bruises and cuts.” Hannah simply nodded and allowed Meena to finish her task.
~*~
Hannah leaned against the edge of the tub with her arms folded across each other resting her head over them. Slender fingers set to work lathering the long thick strands of unbridled hair as pale as moonlight.
Meena inwardly sighed while gently combing through the soft tendrils. Most likely today would be her last day as a guest and her last day to persuade the maid and to leave this abysmal place forever. Meena contemplated as best she could. She could try to convince her husband to offer Hannah a position as their servant. Tell him the woman held useful for information as an incentive; That she would be a great asset to him but truth be told there was nothing to tell. Where she came from, what she did before becoming a servant, if she had any associates, and so on. Any personal questions the shrewd Mrs. West asked were met with discretion, vague answers at best, and anything having to do with Earl only received silence and the occasional frown. Whatever secrets she knew, if she had any at all, Hannah Annafellows would not divulge.
But the days that passed in manor were pleasant for the both. Meena enjoyed the strolls through the garden she had once pretended to be interesting in. Riding horse-back through fields and meadows for sport, cooking delicacies from her homeland to share, and having Hannah read her some poetry to past the time. It was like having a sister, only one that never made fun of you and could drink like a sailor. The girl was impressed at how well the modest woman could hold her liquor. The maid wouldn’t even slur her words, whereas Meena would be so drunk she’d sing in an incomprehensible language and fall flat on her back when she’d tried to show Hannah how to belly dance. Still Meena cherished time she spent with the gentle and mysterious woman.
Meena began to rinse the lather from Hannah’s hair. Several bubble drifted up from the water dancing like fairies in the air. She stared into the translucent spheres, admiring their beauty and form. Each one was a floating thought, filled with possibilities and dreams wandering through the air in search of place to reside. ‘If Hannah would leave this place maybe we would become good friends.’ Then as quickly as bubbles formed they burst into non-existence leaving only the memory of them behind.
Meena closed her eyes. ‘It’s wishful thinking at a best.’ For whatever reason Hannah did not wish to leave the manor and refused the invitation to depart this loathsome place.

~*~

Yesterday
The day was warm and breezy and the air carried the scent of blossoms and sunshine. The garden was the perfect place to have brunch. The exotic girl happily rose from her seat where Hannah and she were enjoying refreshments. Meena wanted to give Hannah a gift and left for a moment to pick a small bouquet of Aster flowers hidden behind some shrubs.
Rounding a tall hedge that obscured the view of the table on her way back she slowed. The sound of porcelain shattering underneath her feet gave her a start. The remnants of a tea cup were spread across the walkway and between her shoes. Looking up she saw the table where she was having brunch overturned. Alois Trancy stood over Hannah who was sprawled out on the stone pathway and poured hot liquid from a teapot over her head.
The purple and blue flowers fell from her hands. An image flashed before Meena’s eyes. Her mother was lying on the floor being whipped by Prince Soma’s father. The vision faded and without thinking it through the woman grabbed the blonde’s wrist from behind. The young Earl turned bewildered. Who would dare to stop him? Steely turquoise orbs of bitter hate set themselves on a dark woman with stern grey eyes. “Stop this at once! What has this woman done that makes you hurt her so?” Meena said in a furious tone.
Alois coolly spoke, “How dare you? I am the Earl of Trancy, you would do well to remove hand from me.”
The courageous Meena’s grasp did not wavier, ”I’ll do no such thing! I don’t care who think you are, because you’re nothing more than a horrible child! A foul brat who thinks he can do whatever he pleases!”
Alois said nothing but sneered at the woman enraged at being called a foul brat.
The resolute girl had seen enough! She would not stand idly by while he tortured Hannah. She raised her arm and was ready to give the disgusting Earl a sound slap across his ugly cheek. Alois looked shocked as an open palm nearly struck him but was stopped.
The girl lost her grip on Alois’s wrist. “Huh?” Meena muttered as something hindered her. Hannah had intervened by wrapping her arms around her.
“Forgive me your Highness,” the woman weakly spoke, “It was my fault; I did not showtthe proper respect to you.” Meena ears echoed with disbelief. The distressed maid was defending the boy’s cruelty by saying whatever occurred was her fault.
Unbeknownst to Mrs. West, Hannah was acting as a shield for both her and the Earl. Seconds ago the long dark shadow of Claude Faustus loomed ominously behind Meena. If she had struck the lad there may well have been a bloody corpse scattered across the ground along with the broken tea cups.
The clicking of Claude’s heels finally registered in her ears. The man calmly strode passed her to his master and then whispered to him. Alois sourly glance at both women in front of him with disdain then smiled mockingly. He slightly tilted his head giving a poor excuse for his action, “ I apologize that you had to see this, Madame West,. As Earl I must discipline my servants. Otherwise they would become lax in their duties.”
Meena was about to open her mouth and tell him off by saying the only one who needs that type of discipline is you Earl, but Hannah suddenly squeezed her waist. The girl lost her breath in that moment and could not talk. Alois soon waltzed back to his home with his butler in tow.

~*~
“Hannah,” Meena arms fell into the water. There was one more question she had to ask. A question she needed an answer to. “Why do you stay here?”
“Does it trouble you so?” The quiet woman with a patient nature asked.
Meena replied, “I should think you would feel more troubled than I. The way the Earl treats you, how can you stand it?”
Hannah raised her head and turn around to gaze at the girl. “Do you truly grieve for me?” The beautiful woman asked then waited to hear her guest’s reply. Meena’s face was down cast as she searched for the right words.
“Yes. I do. If you stay here that boy…will surely hurt you.” But that was not all she wanted to say. What more was there to say? The girl sighed starting to feel frustrated from her lack of words.
After a long stillness a signal word finally broke the silence. “Love.”
“Love?” she said confused. A light bulb switched on Meena’s clouded mind. Her hands left the water with a noisy splash and placed themselves on Hannah wet shoulders. Why didn’t she realize it sooner?! He had to be the reason she stayed! Why she endured the Earl’s violence. “Hannah please!,” the girl pleaded. “Please change your mind. The butler may be handsome but no man is worth such pain! I don’t know what this guy means to you but men are a dime a dozen.“
The air became silent again. The maid only replied, “Do you not love your husband?”
Meena balked. The question caught her off guard. Of course she had told Harold she loved him but how she really felt at the time was the opposite. She was apathetic towards him and only wanted him so she could escape from Bengal. It was pure logic and sense that drove her decisions in the past. Find a way to get out of your life long bondage, do whatever it takes to attain your freedom. This is what her reasoning led her to believe over the many years of quiet servitude and surrender.
As of late her reasoning was becoming confused. It was Harold who had protected her in that back alley of London. He put himself at risk for her despite the danger, but love for a man was something the shrewd girl couldn’t fully understand. Meena stared down into the water and saw the sadness and confusion inside herself reflecting clearly on its surface. “I…I care for him..but,” her words trailed off in volume, ”no man is worth that kind of trouble. I will do whatever it takes to keep my freedom. I’ll use whoever I have to and be free.” By the end of her proclamation the sorrowful woman didn’t believe her own words any more. Somehow Harold smiling face kept flashing in her mind but; what else was there to say?
“I am saddened for you.” Hannah’s slender hands cupped both sides of the down trodden girl’s cheeks. Meena tried to hide the tears swelling in her dark eyes but her companion gently lifted her face to meet the tranquil blue sea residing hers. The long suffering and devoted woman slowly pressed her warm and tender lips against the flustered girl’s.
Her eyelids slowly descended till her vision was no more. Gradually her lips parted as she accepted Hannah’s affection and a gentle melody fluttering in her ears from a dream forgotten delved into her beating heart.
The lucid tears of a girl’s faltering resolve fell into the water casting small ripples upon the reflection of dear friends.

~*~

The sun quietly rose over the foggy English moors. A carriage bound for London pulled away from an opulent estate. Inside it a woman with eyes as grey as the stormy day looked back on place she had come to fear, and longed for person she would always miss.
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