~Lucille's POV~

"Lucy-sama!" Rose cried excitedly as she burst into the library where I'd been spending most of my free time researching what I could about the Phantomhive family and trying to learn what I could from Jane Austen novels in the art of love and courtship. I nearly dropped the book out of my hands and scrambled to catch it as I turned from my perch at the window to look at my excited maid.

"What is it?" I couldn't help but laugh as she bounced up and down in delight.

"Master is hosting a ball!" She squealed and I felt my heart drop but struggled to keep a straight face.

"Oh, how wonderful."

Rose threw me a skeptical look, she hadn't missed my clear disdain at this news, "Lucy-sama, do you not like balls? Master said you loved dancing, he thought this would be something you'd-."

I held my hand up to stop her from her rant, "I do. It just makes me nervous."

"Whatever for?" Rose asked curiously and smiled as she noticed the book in my hand. "Love research?"

I felt my face burn and quickly closed the Austen novel, "You know I know nothing of these matters."

Rose smiled as she sat beside me at the window, "Why does the ball make you nervous? We all thought it would be a good distraction for you." She had been hurt by my words, she'd had a hand in orchestrating the event.

Forcing a brilliant courtier's smile, I turned to her, "If you had anything to do with it, I'm sure it will be perfect. I didn't mean any offense I just worry I'll feel out of place. The English and the French don't have the best of relationships and I worry about being an object of ridicule."

"I find it hard to believe anyone would ever ridicule you, Lucy-sama. You're everything I imagine a princess should be." She smiled dreamily, "Beautiful, graceful, sweet-."

There was a knock at the door and I cursed myself as I jumped at the sound, I'd dropped my guard twice this morning. I was far too comfortable here.

"The carriage is ready." Anders bowed as he stepped into the room with a bemused Silas in toe.

"Carriage?" I asked perplexed, "For what?"

"To go shopping!" Rose squealed and clasped my hands in hers.

"Shopping?" I gaped, "Whatever for?"

"A gown for the ball, of course." Rose cheered.

"My closet is full of suitable gowns." I protested and threw a glare at Silas as he cackled at my predicament. Shopping was by far one of my least favorite things.

"Oh no, our mistress must have the finest gown money can buy so we can proudly show her off." Rose giggled and Silas doubled over in laughter as I apparently revealed some look of horror on my face.

Despite my protests, an hour later, I found myself in a carriage with Rose, Silas and Anders on our way to London. Rose was giddy with excitement at the prospect of going to town, she loved London. She spoke rapidly of all the cute shops and sites to see in London and plotted out what shops should dictate the majority of our time.

About halfway to our destination, the carriage came to an abrupt halt sending Rose flying out of her seat. Anders and Silas struggled to catch her between them as the horse pulling the carriage began pitching a fit. I had managed to keep myself seated with sheer reflex and tightening of my core muscles to keep my balance and brace for impact.

"What's going on?" Rose yelped as she was righted though was still clinging to Anders and Silas for support.

The sound of a gunshot followed by the gut-wrenching sound of rending flesh caused Rose to scream. Silas and I exchanged looks. I couldn't rightly blow my cover in front of our two companions, but from the sounds of it, our carriage driver had just been shot as I heard the thud as his body slumped against the carriage and saw a stream of blood run down the window behind Silas and Anders. Rose paled as she saw the blood on the window in front of her face and scrambled back to her seat with a yelp.

Anders had his sword in hand and looked to Silas who already had two wicked daggers at the ready. "Rose, look after our mistress." He said in a steely calm voice.

Rose looked on the verge of panic, she wasn't suited for this. From the looks of it she'd never been in such a dire situation, she had no idea what to do. "I-."

"Rose! Our mistress' safety is our top priority." Anders reminded her in a cool voice as he prepared himself for what was to come.

I caught Rose's hand in mine and offered her a reassuring smile, "We'll be fine."

Silas and Anders leapt out of the carriage and I swore under my breath as I heard a barrage of gun fire and pulled Rose to the floor of the carriage for cover. What the hell was going on? Who had attacked us?

Anders let out a cry of pain after a few minutes of what sounded like an intense fight and Rose trembled next to me. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her caramel colored eyes were filled with terror.

"I'm sorry, Lucy-sama." She sniffled, "You didn't want to go shopping." Her body shook with sobs.

I hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Rose. We're going to be fine." Just as the words left my mouth, the carriage door was wrenched open and gruff hands were reaching in, "ROSE!" I screamed as one of the hands caught her by the arm and wrenched her out of the carriage, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" I snarled and leapt after them without thinking and tackled her assailant to the ground.

The three of us hit the ground and Rose fell away from us still appearing to be in a state of shock. "Lucy-sama!" She cried as I hit the ground with our assailant, I positioned myself so she couldn't see as I slid a blade between his ribcage silencing him in an instant as it cut through his left lung with ease before concealing my blade in my dress sleeve.

Two more men lumbered toward us and quickly caught Rose between them as I rolled away from the now dead man and got to my feet and hurriedly flicked my gaze around me, surveying the situation. Anders was unconscious on the ground a few feet away from me, but I could still see the rise and fall of his chest so I knew he was at least breathing. Silas was being held to the ground by four men each at least twice his size and still seeming to struggle to keep him still. There were eight men in total four trying to restrain Silas, two now holding a sobbing Rose and two standing before me.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded as I composed myself.

"I heard that damn Phantomhive found himself a cute little bride." The man I presumed to be the leader of the group standing before me smirked with a heavy Italian accent, "I can't let that damn dog have any chance at happiness." His cold grey eyes swept over me, "You certainly are a pretty little thing, such a shame to have to die so young."

I couldn't help but smirk at this, "I don't plan on dying today. Silas, quit toying with those buffoons."

The man with the cold grey eyes and the slicked back blonde hair stared in awe as the four goons struggling to hold Silas down were suddenly hurled away from him. He made quick work of them with his blades, sloppy as always, but quick. Their leader took a shaky step away from Silas and turned to the other two goons holding Rose.

"Shoot the girl." He ordered and Rose yelped and clinched her eyes tightly shut as one of the buffoons holding her pressed a pistol to her temple.

My body moved on autopilot as I was overcome with rage. The thin blades concealed within my sleeves fell into my hands and with one swift motion I flung them at Rose's captors and watched as they pierced the two men right between the eyes and they both collapsed to the ground releasing Rose from their hold.

"Let's get out of here!" The man yelped and he and his remaining goon took off into the surrounding forest and it took every ounce of self-control I had to keep myself from hunting them both down and slaughtering them.

Rose slipped to her knees with a sob as I made my way to Anders' fallen form to inspect his injuries, "Silas, please calm her down." I called softly as I rolled Anders onto his back so I could inspect his wounds. He'd been shot in the shoulder and had a pretty deep slash across his side just under his ribs and was losing a lot of blood.

Silas did as he was bid and went to tend to my inconsolable maid as I retrieved a thin blade I'd had tucked into my corset to fish out the bullet from Anders' shoulder. He began to come to and groaned in pain as I dug the bullet out of his shoulder.

"Don't move." I warned as he regained consciousness and in his delirious state tried to fight me off of him, "We need to stitch up this wound on your side right away."

"Mistress?" Anders groaned as he struggled to sit up.

I placed a firm hand on his uninjured shoulder, "Don't move, I have no idea how deep this wound is and I really don't want to have to put your organs back in place if you stupidly cause them to spill out of you by moving around after I've told you to be still!" I snapped at him and couldn't help but smile as his cat like eyes blinked back at me in astonishment.

Anders gave in and stopped resisting. "Are you hurt, mistress?" He asked with a wince as I lifted his shirt away from the wound. It was deep, but he wasn't in danger of losing any organs.

"I'm fine." I answered softly as I made sure there weren't any fabric fibers in the wound that could cause it to turn septic. "Stay still." I ordered as I got to my feet and made my way to the carriage wiping my bloody hands on my skirt as I went. My gaze flit to where Silas and Rose were sitting, a little ways away from the carnage.

Rose was sobbing in Silas' arms. He offered me a smile as I passed them. I sifted through the luggage and found a sewing kit and some alcohol and returned to Anders' side. Uncorking the bottle, I offered him a swig before dumping the contents over his wounds and cringed as he let out a yell at the burn.

"Sorry." I breathed softly before setting to work, using the only thread that wasn't dyed I dipped it in the alcohol and began stitching up his wound.

"Mistress, not that I'm not grateful, but how do you know how to do this?" Anders asked me with a groan as I finished my task and allowed him to sit up.

"I did a lot of charity work at Florence Hospital, I guess it just sort of rubbed off after seeing so many operations." I lied swiftly as I used the remaining alcohol to get the blood off my hands before wiping them dry on my skirt.

Silas helped Anders into the carriage and Rose wrapped me in a bone crushing hug that I had a feeling I wasn't going to be escaping anytime soon. Sighing, I allowed her to pull me into the carriage and sat on the bench opposite of Anders who reluctantly listened to Silas and laid down so as not to jostle his wounds.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy-sama." Rose sobbed.

"There's no reason for you to be sorry." I smiled as I hugged her back.

"I'm a complete mess, I couldn't even keep my cool or protect you." She sniffled.

"It's alright, Rose. You've never been in that kind of situation, before. It's a lot to process the first time." I attempted to reassure her but noticed my mistake when she and Anders stared at me in awe.

"Lucy-sama, why were you in that kind of situation before?" Rose asked me in horror.

"My father is a very successful businessman, it's only expected that he'd have a few people who would bear him ill will." I attempted to shrug it off.

"That's awful." Rose gasped.

I mentally scolded myself, Anders was suspicious.