The Clockwork Conspiracy: A Steampunk Fairytale

⚙2: Of Mysterious Malefactors and Magical Missteps⚙

"Alessandra! Alessandra! Let me in this instant!" Her voice carries over the tinkling tune. The key is enough, of course, but she never turns down a chance to taunt me. Bloody woman.

Good thing Felix ran out of here when he did. I hope idly that they didn't run into one another on the way out. That would be a terrifying scenario indeed. I hold my breath as the lift ascends, knowing that this time there will be no handsome young man to entertain me.

The boy's kind features flit through my mind, entangling themselves in the the threads of my consciousness. I hold it there, a precious gem of a memory. For the briefest of moments, I almost felt...normal. I was just a guy meeting with a new friend. Not a servant trapped in a magical tower. 

No one had ever visited me before. No one was supposed to know I was here. I feel a bubble of fear in my throat and force it back down. If the Lady ever found out...

"Alessandra!" She calls again, and I snap to attention. By the love of all that is holy, I wish she'd stop using that name. It stings deep in my chest, a reminder of all the things I'm not. Why couldn't I have been born a boy? I was supposed to. But now? Now I'm stuck like this, and she won't let me forget it.

Lady Elise steps into the small room of the tower and immediately looks with horror at my clothing. 

"What have you done, child? What happened to the nice dress I had made for you?"

Ugh. That old thing. She won't be happy, but she never is.

I put on my most innocent smile and reply sweetly, "I'm ever so sorry, my lady. I smeared it with grease when I was working, and I couldn't be seen wearing a dirty garment! I decided I needed clothing much more appropriate for tinkering with your menagerie." I emphasize the word your, digging in that subtle barb while I still have the chance. That dress was more symbolic than anything, yet another reminder of how I'm "supposed" to be a lady. I bet she didn't think I would actually work in it. Shows how little she truly knows about me.

She stumbles over to the workbench where a few scraps of pale blue fabric lay. A wailing screech escapes her and she drops to her knees, picking up the pieces. "You foolish, foolish girl! Have you any manners at all? I had this lovely dress made for you and you rip it to shreds?!"

"I needed new grease rags," I shrug, struggling to keep the smile from my face.

"You..." Lady Elise sputters, her face growing red. "You tore up that lovely dress into grease rags?" I imagine steam coming out of her ears and it wouldn't be far from the truth. 

"Not all rags, my lady," I make a mock curtsy. "I did keep some parts. My new vest, for example?" I gesture at the bright colors around my torso. Hell of a lot better than that awful dress, and useful, besides. I've even sewn on some pockets for the random screws and gears I end up accumulating while working.

"You've ruined it!" the Lady laments, her hands clenching into fists. "Have you no respect?"

Not for you, I think silently. I can get away with a lot, but even I don't want to push that far.

"You are simply the most difficult girl I've had the misfortune to deal with!" Elise rants, pacing back and forth. I try not to pay much attention to the word girl over and over. There's something more dangerous afoot. The air crackles with electricity, making my hair stand on end. Oh dear. Not again. 

"Now, now, my lady," I interject, hoping to stave off another of her tantrums. "Would you like to see my recent work? The Menagerie Project has been progressing nicely, you'll see."

The crackling in the air pauses for just a moment as she considers. Finally, it dies down. Whew. "Fine," she says finally, straightening. "Show me."

I scoot over to the workbench and wave my hand at the bird I've been working on. I take a breath, hoping he won't snap at Lady Elise. 

Sadly, hope is a fragile thing and the bird proceeds in his normal agitated fashion, squawking and snapping at anything that moves. Poor thing. If only I could fix the sensor...

Lady Elise puts a hand to her chest in disdain. "Shameful," she snaps. "About as respectful as his creator, it should come as no surprise."

"He has a faulty preservation sensor," I press, gritting my teeth to keep from saying anything else. "If you can go fetch new parts--"

"Don't you have enough here?" She gestures at the mechanical detritus lining the desk. "And why should I, when you ruin things I bring to you? I went out of my way to commission that dress, and you ruin it! No, I think you can make do with these parts."

"Then he'll remain aggressive," I growl. 

"Just like you, then," She sneers, moving on.

Anger boils in my chest and I clench my fists, blood roaring in my ears as I watch my captor. As if constantly insulting me will somehow "fix" me. The huge ruffles of her dress and cloak make the room feel even smaller, the air even thinner. I'm trapped.

No matter what I do, no matter how I try to console myself, I'm trapped. The dark truth of it settles over me like a blanket, suffocating me. She can do as she pleases. And I hate every second of it.

"I've seen enough," Elise snaps, catching my attention. "I'll be back in three days, and I expect progress." Her gaze is stern, boring right past my bravado and into my soul. I gulp.

"Good day," She sniffs, gathering her skirts into the lift and descending once more.

The floor comes up to meet me as I sink down into a corner. I squeeze my eyes shut, barring the errant tears from escape. I have to get out of here. I would have long ago, but the Lady cursed the lift so I'd be burned if I ever lay hand on it. And believe me, I tried. I still have the scars to prove it. 

There's not much in the way of other options. There's only one window, and a sheer drop straight down. Would I survive the fall? Not likely.

Remember to breathe, I remind myself, and take a deep, shuddery breath in. If only there was something I could do, someone that could help...

Of course. 

The lightbulbs flash in my mind so brightly I'm nearly blinded with their brilliance. How had I not thought of it before? If Felix truly kept his promise, if he returned to the tower, he could help me escape. He used the lift unharmed. There had to be something he could do, something we could figure out.

If he ever comes back.

If.

That tenuous hope feels about as fragile as my creations.

⚙~⚙~⚙ Author's Note ⚙~⚙~⚙

Wow, Lady Elise is kinda scary! I hinted at some of her powers here, but there will be more. And now you know why Alek can't just go out the tower the same way as everyone else. I hope Felix comes back soon...don't you? 

Stay tuned for Part Three. Will Felix return? Will Alek ever escape? Will his bird ever stop biting everyone? Questions, questions.

As an added bonus, see above for my image of what Lady Elise looks like. Isn't she beautifully menacing?

Dedicated to Indigodragon for being a kindred spirit and for writing an excellent steampunk story called The Atlantis Crystal. It's full of action and adventure, so go check it out! If you needed any more convincing, can someone whose bio says "I am a very quiet tea-loving bookworm" be all bad??

Have any questions or feedback on the chapter? Leave them in the comments below.

xoxo, Lucas ♥

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