grail of death and clockwork.

Chapter I

  The year is 1886, the night would be cold were it not for the constant warmth caused by the excess steam of airships and gurney carriages. The bustling streets around are filled with the sounds of hissing steam and whispers of gossip from small huddles of working class and lower class 'peasants'.

Looking down and briskly walking Dakoda pulls her worn grey tweed hat a little lower and her tattered black frock coat a little tighter as the sounds of civilization cause a spell of jittery mistrust to run down her tingling spine, she dare not ever let anyone see her face for this might reveal her identity and if ever she was caught in this attire or even in these parts of the city then she would never hear the end of it, her reputation would be in even more of a ruin then it already was.

Having had long since left her workplace to start the long trek to her home she never once had, nor would ever let her guard down. It was to be the fault of the arrogance and stubbornest of Scotland yard which lead to her distrust in every soul in her vicinity. Though perhaps she should not blame her ever-growing social paranoia on the police force, or community. But rather on her stubborn need to prove to the same society which she so feared, that her place as head of her household is just as deserved to her as it would have been had she been bestowed it on... better... terms.

Her boots -made of sturdy and well worn dark leather, long since soiled with dirt, mud and grease- clanged against the metallic grates of the sidewalks a few last times before the harsh clinking of her steps are dulled too a soft thud as the industrial pathways of the lower sections of the city merge into the paths of dirt and cobble of the higher class sections of the city. The further into the higher class sections that she got the less whispers she heard, she allowed herself to loosen her coat freeing it up to sway around her slender frame as the woolen fabric is picked up slightly in the constant breeze of the steam-powered city. The movements of her coat allowed the occasional reveal of her once white button-up and threadbare black wool trousers.

As she approaches her residence she quickens her already prompt pace. Just as she is on the brink of entering her estate a stark yet elegant voice calls out to her slowing down she subtly reaches into her coat pocket and encloses her hand around the handle of her steam pistol.

"You. Boy! what do you think you are doing here?" they call out. Dakoda comes to a standstill just outside of her estates large gates and allows them to continue.

"This is clearly no place for a peasant like you, shoo off back to your dirty little home," they convoy. With a roll of her eyes at the crudeness of them, Dakoda turns to face the individual, with a counterfeit smile she looks the immaculately dressed woman up and down, narrowing her eyes a little she removes her hands from her coat pockets and clamps them in-front of her fiddling with the tattered edge of her half tucked shirt.

"Apologize M'Lady, I am here on the request of Countess Cipher," she affirms using a recited tongue. The aristocratic lady scowls at her and narrows her eyes taking on the given account with careful consideration.

"I best dismiss you before you are tardy, strange one that girl is, it be best you not displease her, least she might retaliate fiercely, good day to you." the lady says tipping her hat slightly before promptly walking off. Dakoda glares as the lady makes a hasty departure, turning her nose up at the arrogance of the pompous lady she turns and enters her estate.

Walking up the lengthy winding drive to the grandiose entrance of her manor. She Strolls up the myriad of steps and shoves the excessively large door open with a huff. Plucking her hat off she tosses it onto the coat rack, as she is removing her coat her head maid approaches,

"Welcome home Lady Cipher, shall I have Ezekiel p...p-prepare your afternoon tea?" she asks politely as she assists dakoda in taking off her coat.

"Earl grey, have it brought to my study with a slice of yesterdays spongecake; and Menachem have him set aside a pot for himself, Audrey and Bartholomew as well." she instructs walking up the grand staircase.

"Affirmative Lady Cipher, shall I bring you your letters also?" Menachem asks. Pursing her lips in thought Dakoda pauses on the top step.

"Discard of any invitations to social gatherings and bring me what's left over and the tool-set, we need to repair that stutter of yours again," she asserts, turning her head slightly to look back over her shoulder. With that she retreats to her dressing room.

Opening her capacious wardrobe she picks out a crimson red gown with leather corset and copper accents. Changing out of her tattered pauper attire into the mid-length red garment of choice she then neatly folds the previous attire and stores it in a small chest in the back of the wardrobe, Hidden away from prying eyes.

Dakoda then exits her dressing room and with a quick paced stride walks to her study, upon opening the door she is greeted by Menachem with a trolley containing her requested tea, the tool-set necessary to repair the mechanical maid's stutter and a silver platter containing three letters. Entering the room fully she shut the door behind her before walking over to her large maple wood desk, sitting at the leather chair and picking up her quill,

"Have you any news for me Menachem?" Dakoda inquires, reading though some paperwork and signing it off.

"Lord Damarcus called by earlier in the day, I informed him you had business to attend to," Menachem replies pouring tea into a delicate china teacup with black and gold decorative accents.

"What did my obtuse betrothed want this time?" she asks with a small smirk of amusement. Upon saying this the door to her study files open

"How obscene, you would call you own Fiance obtuse," Virgil says in a dramatic huff as he strolls up to her left side and picks up her hand placing a kiss on the back of it. Tearing her hand from his grasp she gives him a look of disapproving,

"That is because you are obtuse, my dear Virgil, now please leave me to complete my work," she says rolling her eyes and picking up another paper to read through and sign.

"Why would I leave, I have only just arrived. We should take this time to discuss the ball you will throw for your birthday," Virgil puts forth, sitting on the arm of the chair and hovering over her shoulder. Glaring at him over her shoulder she gently places her quill down on the desk. She takes in a deep breath in and slowly pushes herself up out of her chair.

"Is that what this is all about? you're disrupting my peace to discuss a ball which I do not want to, nor ever will intend or want, to throw!?" she hisses glaring down her nose at him. he shrinks down and grins at her sheepishly.

"But it's your birthday, my dear, surely you must want to celebrate at least a little bit?" He suggests with a nervousness she had seen many times over the years they had known each other, she knew from that slight nervousness that he was rethinking that which he had said.

"Why would I ever want to celebrate the wretched day of my birth? the eve of their death? it will only bring about pain which I would rather long forget," She miffs a frown painting her face, she turns away from him and paces towards the small cupboard in the right back corner of the room.

"I apologize Dakoda, I know its hard for you. I just don't want you to have to suffer for the rest of your life, you don't get out enough, I just thought perhaps if you were to celebrate and throw a ball like a normal woman maybe you would feel better about the day," Virgil says softly also standing up. With a rather impolite and unladylike snort she rolls her eyes at his speaking.

"If I were like a 'normal woman' then I would not be sitting in here signing off paperwork for MY workshop, I'd be out with the blithering women discussing which perfumes smell the loveliest." she snaps with a harsh tone,

"You know that's not what I meant, my dear, It is not good for you to be moping about in this office all day long," Virgil sighs, she merely frowns at him in response.

"Menachem take a seat, let's fix that stutter, least the thoughts of it keep me up at night," she says pulling open the cupboard and collecting a small stool and an oilcan. she sets the stool in-front of the the desk and Menachem sits down.

Dakoda moves Menachem's long red hair over her shoulder to keep it out of the way and loosens her apron and bodice.

"Virgil, my dear, have some respect," she mutters as she moves the fabric out of the way. As clicks open the maintenance panel Virgil moves to the opposite side of the desk where her chair is.

"It is just a machine made by a man it will not much care if I am present in the room while it is half indecent," Virgil scoffs sitting back down in Dakota's desk chair with a soft creak as the leather moves under his weight. dakoda drops the tool she had just picked out of the tool kit and whirls around to face him, her gaze focusing on her fiancee blazing with fury. he was seated in her chair in a way so his legs dangled over the arms, she points at him and narrows her eyes.

"You take that back, I can handle your inconceivably ignorant comments toward how I live my life but if you ever DARE insult my maid again I will not think twice about canceling any plans you have already made for my birthday celebrations!" she yells, seething with anger "now apologize to Menachem, and then remove yourself from the room, I do not wish for you to be in my presence at this moment." Dakoda declares turning away from her fiance, she picks the small tool she had dropped back up and returns to busying herself repairing the displaced wires, gears and cogs in the mechanical maids back. with a huff od ignorance Virgil swings himself up out of the chair and moves to stand next to Dakoda,

"I am humbly sorrowful Menachem, please accept my sincerest apology," he says with a biting spitefulness in his tone of voice.

"That is quite alright Lord Damarcus, I am merely a mechanism meant for companionship, what your opinion of me does not matter to me as I am programmed not to think about that sort of trivia," the maid states staring blankly at the wall in front of her. with a humpf of annoyance Virgil leaves the room muttering something about how utterly vain women were under his breath, Dakoda turns and glares at him as he leaves.

"We will converse later over supper, for now you may occupy yourself in the billiard room, I will have Menachem deliver some tea to you. Once I have completed my work for the day I will join you, and Virgil, my dear, it would do you best to set up the chess board, it seems I am needing to remind you who is in charge in this household." she smirks. He smiles and then leaves, the door clicking softly behind him as he exits.

"Menachem, will you please go deliver Virgil his tea, take some scones as well," Dakoda mumbles as she fiddles with the small cogs and gears, finally clicking them all into the correct placements she carefully shuts the panel.

"Affirmative, Lady Cipher." she says, Dakoda ties her bodice and apron and then steps back,

"Off you go, keep that childish man entertained for a while, I really must complete this paper work, the workers already look down at me. No point giving more excuses for society to have a hostile attitude towards me," Dakoda sighs moving to slump down into her seat once more.

with a curt nod Menachem turns and exits the room, the door clicks softly behind her and Dakoda lets out a sombre sigh. She picks up her quill and begins signing papers again.

---

After a few hours of going through her paperwork, her desk top was now clear of all papers and her hands had ink smudged across them. She stretches her arms above her head, hearing a satisfying clunk as the natural gases which had accumulated between her bones is released. she stands and brushes off her skirt so it will fall back into place properly. turning and facing the large painting of her parents which hung behind her desk she purses her lips.

"I must have Menachem remove that," she says aloud as she makes a mental note to have it removed. turning to the bookshelf she pulls out a red leather bound book and opens it, a small cavity had been cut into the pages and hidden inside was a small black velvet pouch. she pulls it out and puts the book back into its place in-between two medical journals. tipping out the contents of the pouch into her open palm she lets a small smile grace her lips as she opens the small locket and a hologram lights up flickering every now and then, the small noiseless image of the hologram showed her and her elder brother when they were just kids, she would have to have been only a toddler at the time.

Shutting the locket the hologram erupt dissipates. she loops the chain over her head and tucks the piece of jewelry into her bodice, the metal cold against her skin as she leaves her study and walks to the billiard room.

Upon entering the room Dakoda is greeted by the sight of Virgil making a shot on the pool table, he goes to sink the last ball only to completely miss altogether.

"You're horribly unskilled at pool, my dear, shall we play a round of chess now instead?" she inquires, he turns to her and smiles.

"Finally, must you do all that paperwork yourself? could you not just hire a man to do that for you?" He queries, raising an eyebrow Dakoda takes a seat at the chessboard, he sits across from her.

"Are you suggesting that a woman is incapable of doing paper work? prey tell what is a woman capable of doing in your eyes then my dear? dancing waltzes and spreading rumors like one spreads jam on scones?" Dhe proposes with an annoyed yet humored voice.

"No of course not my dear, I was merely pointing out that you would have more time to enjoy yourself if only you would hire another to complete such a tedious task," He says moving one of his pawns forward.

Turning her nose up slightly and tilting her head to the right Dakoda smirks. She moves one of her knights out and then shrugs.

"I prefer being able to do my own paper work. as lacklustre as the task is, I find doing the work myself means nobody can sabotage my company by purposely signing the wrong documents or misplacing important papers. It is simply easier for my mind to be at peace when I do it myself, besides if I were to hire someone, to do it for me. I would have to hire a woman, a man's handwriting is far to sloppy for my liking," She expresses. With a humph and roll of his eyes, Virgil moves his rook. With a slight twitch of a smile Dakoda looks him in the eye, she moves her knight to take out his rook.

"Bollocks," Virgil says under his breath, he moves another pawn only for Dakoda to move her knight and take that out as well.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, such foul language to use in front of a lady, whatever would your mother say if she heard you uttering words so foul in front of me?" Dakoda smirks, with narrowed eyes Virgil assesses the board he moves a pawn making sure it will not be taken by her knight, only for it yet again to be taken, this time by Dakoda's bishop.

"I'm starting to remember why we never play games like this together anymore," He pouts warily moving his queen forward. With a snicker Dakoda moves her knight and takes the queen, holding the piece between her forefinger and thumb she smirks

"Really? I'm starting to question why I ever stopped playing these games, perhaps your right, perhaps I should hire a woman to do my paperwork for me so I may enjoy these games with you more often," She asserts yet again tilting her nose up and head to the side with a snide grin.

"Okay I get it, you don't need to hire anyone to do your work for you, I'll stop pestering you about it now," Virgil whines, moving his knight. With a curt nod and a sly grin Dakoda hums

"That is all I was waiting for," She says moving her queen, "Checkmate," She claims standing up.

"You mean to tell me you could have done that the whole time?!" Virgil gapes staring at the board with his ego slightly deflated.

"Well not perhaps not the whole time, but for the last three moves at least. Now, hurry on with your clamouring speech of what you want me to do for my birthday, and then be on your way. It is late and I wish to retire to bed." Dakoda articulates. Virgil stands and faces her,

"I think you should throw a ball, invite people, actual people. The things which people say about you are not the things I wish to hear. I believe that perhaps if you show the people that you are willing to become involved in society then perhaps they will change their opinion of you." Virgil says wary of her thoughts on this information. She purses her lips with a hum and picks up a scone from the platter which had been sitting there since Virgil had first come to this room a few hours ago. She holds it out to him.

"Society's opinion of me, my dear, is like this scone. I could devour every word they say and it could taste absolutely divine, not to sweet and not to stale. Or alternatively, it could taste positively horrible, the scone could be far to stale and have a bitter aftertaste or the jam could be far to sweet. The thing is, it is my choice to eat the scone, nobody can force me to. They may question why I do or do not eat the scone but the longer they do question it the least likely I am to eat it," she says before dropping the half stale scone back onto the platter.

"But my dear the things they say are horrible, surely that must bother you even just a little bit?" Virgil asks with concern.

"Do I look bothered by it? let the weasels say what they want, Those who say horrible things about me must be horribly boring anyhow, besides, what is the point in attempting to make friendships with people like that they will all talk horribly about me behind my back weather or not I am well acquainted with them." she huffs

"And suppose you are wrong?, my dear, suppose that if you were to make acquaintances and friendships in society, what if then people were to stop spreading these horrible rumors about you?" Virgil enquirers

"I am not willing to take that chance, I am better off shutting myself out from society and ignoring their unpleasant opinions of me." She sneers. Virgil sighs and nods,

"I presuppose if that is how you are going to look at it, then there will be no point in me attempting to change your mind, I shall take my leave now as it is late and people might start to spread rumors about that, but, my dear, that does not mean that this conversation is over," He utters with a brisk bow,

"Farewell, my dear, sleep well." Dakoda says turning to leave the room

"Good evening, my dear." Virgil adds. Dakoda motions for Menachem to follow and then she exits the room, seeing Virgil to the door. She watches as he enters his gurney carriage and once she can no longer see the vehicle she turns to Menachem,

"Menachem, I would like you to remove mother and fathers portrait from my study, I do not care what you do with it, but It no longer belongs on the wall," She asserts

"Affirmative Lady Cipher," Menachem nods before walking back up the stairs to complete the task which had been given to her.

"Mig't I enquire, why ya are removin' the paintin' of ya parents Me Lady?" Audrey asks, turning to face the petite, heavy accented maid, Dakoda tilts her head to the right.

"You may, but that does not mean to say I will answer your quire," She says,

"Is it because ya miss 'em Me Lady?" The pale girl asks,

"No, not entirely at least, The picture just does not belong there any longer, they are no longer head of the household, I am the countess of this house now and so I shall no longer live their shadows," Dakoda addresses,

"'at is a very admire-able way ta look at it, shall I 'eat your bed for ya? on accoun' of Menachem bein' busy wi' movin' the paintin'?" The young girl asks.

"That would be much appreciated Audrey. You may retire to bed once you have done that, but before you do so might I ask if you might know where Ezekiel is?" Dakoda requests, the young maid nods

"'e is in the kit'en still Me Lady, som'en about doin' the dishes," She answers before going off to heat up her bed. Dakoda walks to the kitchen rolling her eyes

"I do wish she would drop that accent, she does not need to keep it up anymore," she mutters under her breath. Once she arrives at the kitchen she knocks on the wooden door.

"Ezekiel, are you in here?" She calls out. Answered by the clanging of fine china and cutlery she pushes the door open.

"My Lady, its getting rather late, do you need something?" The chief asks putting away the recently cleaned dishes.

"Nothing much Ezekiel, I only wished to check in on you before retiring to bed, please do not stay up to long, I would not want you to ware yourself out," Dakoda says entering the kitchen.

"Are you sure that is all you wish to say My Lady?" The blond man asks adjusting his uniform to make sure he is presentable. Placing a knuckle to her pursed lips Dakoda hums slightly,

"No, not really, Virgil mentioned something to me. Something which I have been also noticing roundabout myself, and although I told him it does not bother me. I find that although I wish it did not that it in fact does and I just would like to Know your opinion," she requests "What do people think of me? Am I mean? Do they hate me? Do they think me to be insane?" she asks in a rush

"Do calm down My Lady, I unfortunately can't tell you what the higher ups think of you, but those of us who work for you think very highly of you. You're a sweet and wonderful young lady who has had an unfortunate start in life. Pay no mind to what those pompous aristocrats think of you because that will never matter. The things those people come up with half the time are only said to gain attention or to put down peasants like me," he says comfortingly "Now off to bed you go. Promise I wont tell Lord Damarcus that you would prefer to talk to a lowly servant over him," He jokes, crossing over his heart.

"Sleep well, Ezekiel, make sure the others do not stay up to late, none of you are mere lowly servants to me, you all mean very much to me as friends," She smiles "I very much appreciate your advice." and with that she leaves the kitchen and makes her way up to her bedroom.

Once Dakoda enters her room she changes out of her crimson gown into her night attire.She then gets into her recently warmed bed and lays there, on her back, staring up at the ceiling. With a soft sigh she rolls on to her side and stares at the wall. Restlessly she throws the covers off and stands, pacing the room. With a gruff sigh she turns to the large window, aggressively pulling back the heavy curtains she glares out at the humming city,

"What do you want from me?! Is it not enough that you have stolen my family and my childhood from me! Why must you continue to torture my soul!" She hisses out to the steam-powered city which spoke and though so Ill of her.

"Why must you continue to hate me for that which is not my fault?" She whispers salty tears gripping her eyes as her emotions whirl. with a huff at the silence she turns away from the window and continues to pace,

"Why does it bother me so much?" She weeps returning to her bed facing away from the still open curtains as she allows the facade of strength and confidence to drip away with her tears of unrelenting sorrow.