Cloudia Phantomhive

Cloudia was noted as exceedingly beautiful by all who knew her, she had long, bluish hair with a slightly curled cowlick at the front as well as rich peacock-blue eyes; and a beauty mark under her left eye. Her son, Vincent is noted to be her twin in everything from looks to mannerisms.

Cloudia was described to have been an "exceptional" and "strong-willed" person by many, even after her death, her words and her presence still hold strong influence over her descendants and those who knew her in life. She is said to be the only one who could truly "match wits" with the Undertaker and was the only human who could make him truly laugh, as such he held her in extremely high regard and affection. She herself held a fascination for him and, in some cases, seemed to treat him with a tad less formality and more fondness compared to the rest of the world. She was also rather teasing and prone to sarcastic, if not biting, humor.

Despite being a noblewoman, she did not adhere to the overly prim-and-proper rules and etiquette expected of her, she was, to a certain degree, more "modern" in her way of thinking and actions. Cloudia was not particularly fond of most of the other nobility around her especially as a young woman, and not because they had disliked her. Quite the opposite, in fact. They had liked her too much. Cloudia did not dislike the topics of their conversations as she had disliked the people themselves, rather, she had disliked how they had not spoken their minds freely and had not had any real, true opinions on anything. Cloudia took her role as The Queen's Watchdog seriously, though she did not allow the title and duty to strip her of her humanity and compassion, which she, instead, chose to wield as a strength and asset. She was deeply protective of her family, in particular her children, and did not take kindly to anyone who dared threatened them.

Elegant and witty, she was quite charismatic and highly capable of leading a discussion or debate, as well as taking up a leadership position with relative ease. She was very observant and sharp, and, like her son and grandson, she was not easily fazed, especially by men who would often attempt to undermine her capabilities in public and private spheres. With her loved ones, Cloudia was more open and affectionate, being quite physical with her shows of care and attention, often kissing and hugging her children and husband as well as teasing them playfully. Cloudia was said to never leave without kissing her children and telling them she loved them, no matter how angry, tired, or worried she was. Though often strict with her son and daughter when it came to their education, Cloudia was not above playing a joke on them and would often laugh along when the joke backfired and she was the target instead. Despite her sharp tongue and wit, however, Cloudia was quite warm-hearted and had a very loving nature. Francis Phantomhive recalled that her mother's love and affection were "infinite" and "unconditional".

Ultimately, Cloudia was an incredibly intelligent and perceptive woman who was not easily fooled, she was also strong, proud, and confident with a great deal of passion and love in her heart. She was also, in some ways, the most "human" of the Phantomhives in her ability to feel and express emotion.

Cloudia Phantomhive was the daughter of Lord Edgar Phantomhive, Earl of Phantomhive, and Lady Charlotte Phantomhive. Their sole surviving child, Lady Charlotte died birthing their daughter, leaving her husband to raise her as the sole heir of House Phantomhive. Lord Edgar was not an attentive father, but he was not a neglectful one either, ensuring that Cloudia was properly educated. Though he was never affectionate towards her, often requiring her to refer to him as Lord Phantomhive rather than father, and being strict in her upbringing; Cloudia's relationship with her father had always been strained. Independent and rebellious, she clashed with her father, who believed in discipline and duty. Though she had longed for his affection, his strict behaviour had only made her resent him, and it had been difficult for her to be close to her father.

Her father was the previous King's Watchdog to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and later became the Queen's Watchdog when Queen Victoria was crowned. Edgar, in his prime, had been a skilled Watchdog, loyal and unflinching. But when the time came for him to pass the torch, his pride had gotten the better of him and he refused to name his daughter his successor, instead opting to carry out his duties as usual, hoping to marry his daughter quickly in order to ensure that his bloodline would continue on through his son-in-law, a member of the aristocracy, and preferably, through a son that Cloudia would bear. Edgar Phantomhive was young and healthy, and he had hoped to live a good few years more to see his daughter give him a grandson and train him to take the mantle of the Watchdog from him. But his ambitions and pride had caused him to overlook a small, but significant detail, that had ultimately been his undoing. His own daughter, Cloudia Phantomhive, had no intention whatsoever to live the life he had envisioned for her, and so she had chosen to become the next Watchdog on her own terms.

When Cloudia was fifteen years old, she was officially presented into society and was introduced to the upper echelons of society as the heiress of the Earl of Phantomhive. This had only fueled the ambitions of many aristocrats and noblemen who had hoped to marry the beautiful, young, and soon-to-be wealthy heiress. She had found many of the nobles' intentions distasteful and was not very fond of the majority of them, and, as such, had often turned down any attempts of courtship and flirting. Cloudia's eyes sat on a higher prize, that is, her father's title of the Watchdog. In order to do that, however, she had to convince her father to make her his successor and she had little time to waste as her father had intended for her to wed a nobleman within a year or two.

Cloudia would often snoop around her father's office when he had gone to the palace and would go through his paperwork and documents. This had given her information on several crimes, including a prostitution ring in London that was known to have kidnapped, drugged, and sold young girls, mostly the daughters of merchants and craftsmen, and had taken a great deal of interest in this particular case, but she could not do much on her own as she had been unable to gather evidence or have her father assign her to the case. Yet, Cloudia knew that it was not only a crime against these young women, but against their families and loved ones and she knew that she could not sit idle and let it go. One man in particular, a noble by the name of Lord Henry Stirling, had been known to frequent the establishments in question from which the girls were often brought, and the prostitution ring was suspected to be connected to a larger crime syndicate that had been responsible for several disappearances and deaths across England.

Lord Henry was recently widowed, having lost his wife during the birth of their daughter who had also perished, and was said to have been devastated by his loss. He had, in the beginning, attempted to stay away from any and all things that had reminded him of his wife, but over time, his grief had turned to longing, and he had turned to women, and, in particular, he had been one of Cloudia's suitors and had often requested her company from her father's behalf. Despite Edgar Phantomhive being a cold, strict man, he had loved his daughter fiercely in spite of having no way to show it, and he had not hesitated to deny the requests of the widowed Lord knowing he was a main suspect, fearing for his daughters safety. Cloudia, on the other hand, had not trusted the nobleman at all and had thought that there had been more behind his grief than his apparent devotion and love for his late wife.

Asking her father to introduce her to the lord, claiming she had been charmed by his "sweet" letters, had been the easy part. What had been hard had been her father's insistence on being present throughout the evening, and even harder had been convincing the guards and servants to look the other way as she had slipped away. In truth, her father had been suspicious and had suspected her of having ulterior motives, and so had assigned a man to follow her and had been waiting for her in the parlor, and the only reason he had not been able to prevent her from going was because Cloudia had managed to convince him to go with her. It had, of course, been a lie and Lord Edgar had, in reality, intended to use the opportunity to confront Lord Henry and had thought that his daughter had simply wanted to go out, having felt suffocated by the mansion as Cloudia was not fond of large, crowded parties.

But when Cloudia had been left alone for a mere minute or two, the man her father had assigned to follow her had lost sight of her. Cloudia, sneaking around Lord Henry's private study, had been quick and silent, and so had slipped by unnoticed. Though not expecting to find incriminating evidence, she was shocked to find a hidden drawer with documents that confirmed her suspicions. Transactions for large amounts of money and payments for 'horses', which Cloudia suspected had been codewords for the girls, had been hidden among the papers, along with a letter signed by Lord Henry himself. Among the envelopes, more shockingly, had been names of young noble women, and she had not taken long to recognise her own. Without hesitation, Cloudia had stolen the letters and the documents and had slipped away, hiding the stolen goods and evidence beneath her skirt before returning to the parlor where her father had been waiting to return to the manor.

Her father had questioned her and she had feigned feeling unwell, blaming the food. Cloudia had retired to her room, but instead of resting, had begun reading through the pile of documents she had stolen and had realised that, although he had not been the head of the crime syndicate, Lord Henry had been a key player and had been responsible for kidnapping and selling dozens of young girls, and, as such, had been a danger not only to her, but to the other aristocratic girls as well, all young women who had been known for being stubborn and strong-willed, as the victims had all been described as 'spirited' and 'strong-minded' in the letters. Each of them women who had 'enloped' in the recent months, or women who had not yet debuted, but were expected to do so within the next year.

Realising the severity of the situation and that her father would not have enough evidence to convict Lord Henry without proof, and that the letter and the documents she had taken would not be enough, Cloudia had decided to set up a trap for Lord Henry, one that would catch him red-handed and bring him to justice. Willing to risk her reputation, as well as her own safety, she had waited until her father had left for the night, and had then gone down into the servants' quarters, and, despite her status, had convinced a young woman named Anna, who had been the chambermaid in the mansion for a month or so, to help her. Cloudia had known that she could not ask her own servants, fearing they would not trust her and would tell her father. She had offered Anna money and, in return, Anna had agreed, helping her sneak out and taking her to the brothel that Lord Henry had frequented. Exchanging clothes, Cloudia had entered the brothel under the guise of Anna, and had, after a short while, caught Lord Henry's attention who did not recognize her beneath her disguise.

He had requested her company and, not knowing how else to proceed, Cloudia had played along and had been taken to his carriage, and driven to his estate. Cloudia, prepared as she could have been, had known that there was a possibility that the plan would not work, and had feared what would happen should she be caught. The man, however, had underestimated her and had been too confident in his abilities. Drugged and disoriented, Cloudia had not had the luxury of being cautious, and, upon entering the home, had pretended to faint, her body hitting the floor. He had not bothered to tie her up or chain her and had believed that the drug had taken its toll. He had, however, been wrong. Cloudia had not fallen truly unconscious, but had kept her eyes open, watching the path they took. It had taken him some time to carry her down the stairs of the cellar and through a series of corridors and rooms. Though the drug had nearly knocked her out, she had fought it, knowing that the plan would fail should she be discovered, or worse, that she would become a victim of the crimes as well.

Cloudia had struggled to keep track of the path and the layout, but had managed to keep her wits about her, and had not hesitated to strike once he had taken her into a large room. She could hear women crying in the rooms beside her, even catching glimpses of them, and her suspicions had been confirmed, that the prostitution ring was connected to the missing girls and had been involved in their disappearances. When Lord Henry's back was turned, she had hit him over the head with an ornate lamp that had been nearby, knocking him out and freeing herself. She had then retraced her steps, hearing the cries of the imprisoned girls, had sneaked into the room where they had been kept, and had unlocked the door, releasing them and ordering them to be quiet, hearing the footsteps and voices of other men through the walls.

They had not dared to argue with her and had followed her lead, and, together, Cloudia and half a dozen young women had made their way back up, sneaking through the corridor. They had nearly been caught, and Cloudia had been forced to improvise, grabbing an iron poker and killing the man in a moment of fear. Her hands had trembled, her heart had raced, and her vision had blurred, and yet, she had managed to hold herself together. It had taken her a moment to collect herself, and she had quickly ushered the young women out, and, once they had made it outside, she had ordered them to run as bullets rained down on them. She had nearly been shot, and had nearly died that night, but her determination had saved her. Crashing through the front doors of the manor, she was shocked to see her father and a number of Scotland Yard officers raiding the place.

In her mind, it had not made sense. Her father shouldn't have known that she had been gone, or where to look for her, and yet, the officers had been there. Truthfully, Anna had been caught by the lord and had revealed the truth of Cloudia's whereabouts. Cloudia, drugged and disoriented, had nearly collapsed when her father had rushed to her, catching his daughter and holding her close, and she had heard him mutter a quiet, but sincere, "Thank God". Cloudia had not been sure whether her father had seen her or had been grateful she was alive or not, but she had not questioned him. Thanks to her involvement, Lord Henry had been arrested and his crimes had come to light. Her father and the Queen had done everything they could to ensure her involvement had remained secret, and, though he had been angry with her, striking her across the cheek when he had learnt that she had put herself in danger, he had not punished her further and had, surprisingly, been proud of her actions. For what Cloudia could remember being the first time in her life, her father had smiled at her, a true smile, and had said she had been every bit the Watchdog. Lord Edgar Phantomhive cried for the first and last time that night, telling his dear daughter, "You truly are your mother's child."

With her father's reluctant blessing, Cloudia would take the mantle of the Watchdog after her father's passing. Though he had not told her this, it had been her father's hope that Cloudia's involvement with the prostitution ring case had made her change her mind about being the next Watchdog and had hoped that she would give up and find a husband instead. But Cloudia had been adamant in her decision and had become her father's official apprentice, working alongside him in preparation for her inheritance. Though her father had not said anything, and had returned to treating her the same as he had before, he had changed towards his daughter and had shown her the kindness she had longed for. Edgar had even gone so far as to tell his daughter that he was proud of her. He had still been cold and distant, and his pride had still gotten the better of him, but his treatment of her had changed.

A year later, aged sixteen, Lord Edgar Phantomhive had perished and had left his daughter his title and responsibilities as the next Watchdog, the first woman to hold the position. His death was unexpected, and though no one spoke it aloud, everyone knew that his death had been due to his involvement with the Crown and the work he had done as the previous Watchdog. Cloudia had never expected her father's death so suddenly, and was, at first, at a loss. The day her father died, she had gone out into the garden and had sat down in the grass and had allowed herself to cry, not knowing what else to do, something that Cloudia Phantomhive rarely did. When the time had come for her to assume the mantle, she was unready yet entrusted by Queen Victoria who had faith in her. Cloudia had kissed the Queen's hand and had sworn her loyalty, and had accepted the contract between the two of them, promising to serve and protect her with her life, her sword, and her soul. From then on, her duties as the Watchdog had begun. Though the previous Watchdogs had done everything they could to keep her involvement in the Crown's affairs as limited as he could, Cloudia Phantomhive soon grew notorious and had become infamous among both the aristocracy and the criminal underworld, becoming known as the Wolf Of Britannia in spite of her true identity remaining a secret to all but a handful of individuals.

• (Cloudia to Undertaker on the topic of love) There is something about doomed love. Love always seems sweeter when there is only pain waiting for it. The tragedy, the anguish, the suffering... the despair... all those things make it all the more beautiful. But in a way, you and I have always been like that. We have always been doomed.
• (Cloudia to Arthur Randall, sarcastically) If it isn't Scotland Yard, London's most brilliant detectives. Tell me, Inspector Randall, has anyone ever told you how incredibly brilliant you are? I am sure they have.
• (Cloudia about her father) He was an Earl. He had duties and obligations. And, apparently, children were not one of them.
• (Cloudia to Othello) How very sweet. You think that I'm scared of you.