"I saw it! Ask anyone! ...except her. Don't ask her."
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"Are you quite sure you want to know this?"
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"These are the Empress' children. The oldest ones stand in a row at the back. The Redundant Heir holds a goblet in one casual hand. The drip that runs down its stem seems too treacle-like for wine, and too brightly red. To his left stands the Dutiful Daughter; to his right the Brooding Captain. Before them, the younger children sit on stools: the Heartbroken Bibliophile, the Recalcitrant Sculptress, the Bellicose Prince, and the Delicate Duke (who is still much mourned in patriotic corners of society).
At the very front, cross-legged on the floor, sits the Playful Prodigy. She has the cheeks of a cherub and blue, mischievous eyes. In her arms is a baby, wrapped in a black swaddling-cloth: presumably the Captivating Princess.
Only the oldest child is absent: the Empress' Shadow, who did not Fall."
After an unfortunate episode involving gaoler's honey that took place sometime in 1870s, all of the Empress' children save two have been transformed into monsters. One stayed on the Surface, and the Captivating Princess, who was born in the Neath, managed to avoid the effects (at least superficially). One may see the siblings as they were before, but only in a mirror.[1] Thanks to this predicament, many of the royal children suffer from severe insecurities and other character flaws, but they still seem to retain sapience despite their appearances. Their quarters are hidden beneath the Shuttered Palace, locked behind five locked doors.[2]
Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise (born November 21st, 1840), the Princess Royal, nicknamed "Vicky," remained on the Surface[3] and married the future Kaiser Frederick III of Germany. Frederick only ruled for three months in 1888 before his untimely death of cancer, leaving his and Vicky's son Wilhelm II as Kaiser. This does not appear to have changed in the world of Fallen London.
The Redundant Heir
Prince Albert Edward (born November 9th, 1841), nicknamed "Bertie," seems to have transformed into a gigantic humanoid creature with a severe hunch and limp.[4] He occasionally visits Flute Street to presumably alter his deformed appearance. Bertie's wife Alexandra of Denmark and now-grown son Prince Albert Victor have history surrounding London's politics. In his youth Albert was quite the playboy, visiting London's brothels with other high society men.[5]
In the real world, Victoria blamed Bertie's carousing for Prince Consort Albert's death, but Bertie succeeded her as Edward VII anyway. Prince Albert Victor died of influenza in 1892; he avoided this fate in the timeline of Fallen London.
The Dutiful Daughter
Princess Alice Maud Mary (born April 25th, 1843) has become "the Serpentine Coils."[6] In the mirror, sheis a tall, thin, and neat woman wearing a brocaded gown.[7]
She married the Prince of Hesse in Germany; her youngest daughter Alexandra (now Tsarina of Russia) is known to exist, born in 1872, so we may presume she raised her family on the Surface as in real life, making only occasional visits to London. Her final trip to England was in late 1876, so perhaps it was around this time that the siblings all took red honey. In the real world, she provided comfort to Prince Consort Albert as he died, then provided moral support to her mother, but their relationship was rather turbulent toward the end of Alice's life. Historically, Princess Alice died of diphtheria in 1878.
The Brooding Captain
Prince Alfred Ernest Albert (born August 6th, 1844), nicknamed "Affie," is now "the Shadow with Teeth,"[8] a black mass of razor sharp teeth with a long red tongue.[9] His current form doesn't have limbs, so he's restricted in his actions.[10] He has a rivalry with the Captivating Princess.[11]
In the mirror, he's a heavy-set man with gleaming Admiralty medals adorned on his person.[12] In the real world, he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 14, and became captain of the HMS Galatea in 1867 at the age of 22. In Fallen London, he brought the ship down to the Neath;[13] in real life, he remained in his position on the Galatea until 1879 before being promoted and assigned to other ships.
The Heartbroken Bibliophile
Princess Helena Augusta Victoria (born May 25th, 1846) has become "an abhorrence of rusting quills."[14] She has a unique taste for red honey that's distinct from her siblings; namely, she partakes in honey extracted only from one individual, who is kept separate from the other prisoners. Her discarded poetry also litters the floor of the Palace. In the real world, she helped write a biography of Prince Consort Albert and translated several books from German to English. She was considerably devastated when her father died, and began to court Albert's librarian, who was dismissed when the flirtation was discovered.
The Recalcitrant Sculptress
Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (born March 18th, 1848) is "the gaunt thing with a coat of glass feathers."[15] Since her transformation into a monster thanks to the effects of red honey, her sculptures have taken on the appearance of horrifying and warped humanoid shapes.[16] She was known as the prettiest of Victoria's daughters and a skilled artist. In our world, she pursued an artistic career despite her royal status, and enrolled in the National Art Training School in 1863. She ultimately produced several famous sculptures.
The Bellicose Prince
"It was all and yet none of these. You must return, and return again, until you have eaten your way through to your own rotten core, and devoured it. Until then, this torture is no less than you deserve."[17]
Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert (born May 1st, 1850) has become a "weeping, horse-sized grub."[18][19][20]
As a child, Prince Arthur was enthralled by war; he staged mock battles with tin soldiers and dreamed of one day leading the Empire's armies.[21] After the Fall, he and his siblings were granted an immense supply of red honey — but as he consumed the memories of soldiers, he found the grim reality of war far different from the glory he had imagined. He abandoned the honey, which temporarily spared him from transforming into a monster like most of his siblings.[22]
When London launched the Campaign of '68 against Hell, however, Arthur seized his chance.[23] He fled the Palace and joined the Campaign in disguise, selling his family's possessions to fund his way in.[24] But just like his experience with honey, the horrors of trench warfare quickly brought him down to earth.[25] As the tide turned against London, the higher-ups issued orders to retreat, but Arthur, still seeking glory, burned the letter sent to his platoon.[26] The platoon was ambushed by Hellish forces,[27] and the entire unit was captured except for Arthur and one other man, who both escaped as deserters.[28] Arthur's guilt in causing this series of events took a massive toll on his self-image,[29] and he turned to red honey again; with his habit renewed, he was transformed into the writhing, weeping maggot of a man he had always believed himself to be.[30]
In his current form, Arthur cannot speak but may communicate through other means.[31]
In the mirror, Arthur is a middle-aged, mustached man with pale blue eyes; he wears a military uniform adorned with medals.[32] In our world, Arthur spent his life in the military, and was Victoria's favorite child. In the Fallen London timeline, however, it appears she paid him little mind.[33]
The Delicate Duke
Prince Leopold George Duncan (born April 7th, 1853) had hemophilia, a blood disorder common among the royal families of Europe, which left him in poor health. In the Fallen London timeline, he has died, and it's unknown whether he recovered or not. Historically, he was made the Duke of Albany in 1881 and died in 1884.
The Playful Prodigy
Princess Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore (born April 14th, 1857) is "the spider-thing with face-hands and needle-fingers." Before her transformation, she had the cheeks of a cherub and blue, mischievous eyes.[34] Her room is webbed with threads. She likes playing with dolls.[35] She rests in her room like a spider would in her lair, suspended on the ceiling and dropping down to prick unsuspecting persons[36] making them go unconscious.[37] She is then able to wrap them up in webs to extract traits from her victims.[38] This would allow her to return to human form and be even better than before.[39]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, Beatrice was able to return to human form (presumably using the abilities outlined above). The Generous Princess, as she's now known, is notorious for her extravagant (and extremely dangerous) gifts and services and is the center of society in New London.
In real-life, she was originally supposed to marry Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte; this would imply that the Anglo-Zulu war, in which Louis-Napoleon died (ending the marriage plans), did not happen thanks to the Fall. Furthermore, the existence of the Bonapartist separatist faction in France further implies that the Bonaparte dynasty does not have the relevance it did historically. Beatrice was babied by her mother, became Victoria's constant companion after Albert's death, and married a German prince (to Victoria's exasperation at losing her innocent baby daughter).
The Captivating Princess
The Captivating Princess was born during the year of the Fall, and thus does not have a historical counterpart. Unlike her siblings, she has retained her human form, which is also unnaturally beautiful;[40] it is implied that she exchanged her body for its Parabolan counterpart in order to remain human.
References
↑The Gift, Fallen London "In the mirror, the company dines with poise. Knives cut sensible morsels. Silver forks dip. Behind you, you hear flesh tear. A crack, as a bone splits lengthways. Insistent, grisly chewing."
↑The wine cellars of the Palace, Fallen London"The cellars under the Shuttered Palace are constantly guarded and protected by five doors with five locks. There must be something interesting down there."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Only the oldest child is absent: the Empress' Shadow, who did not Fall."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Even hunched as he is, he towers over you. You speak soothingly. Does he understand? Perhaps. He shuffles aside, dragging one foot behind him. It seems you may pass."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"In a dresser you find a set of balled scarlet stockings and a journal. The initials in the front cover read A.E. It vividly describes a campaign of assignations at brothels across the city, in the company of eminent men. The entries are decades old – many of the men named must have taken ships to the tomb-colonies by now. [...]"
↑The Gift, Fallen London"The carcass of a goat stretches across the table. Around it, horrors congregate. [...] The next chair is filled with flopping serpentine coils."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"[...] After him comes the Dutiful Daughter, angular and neat. Is it the hem of her brocaded gown that makes that noise? Like slithering coils?"
↑The Gift, Fallen London"The carcass of a goat stretches across the table. Around it, horrors congregate. In the Brooding Captain's chair crouches a thing of blackness and teeth. [...]"
↑The Gift, Fallen London"You dart into the passage as razored teeth clash at your heels. The floor vanishes beneath you, and you tumble through the splinters of a ruined stair. You land hard, but feet-first. Above you, your hunter shrieks in rage. You see a winding red tongue; tatters of something ragged caught in its teeth."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Someone has driven iron stakes into the wall the stair once stood against. You could climb back up, if you needed. The shadow could not. Perhaps that is why it rumbles at you from the doorway, rather than leaping down."
↑The Gift, Fallen London""It's very selfish of you to keep her like this, Alfred," the Princess sighs. "You're forcing your own foibles on her. She could be better. So could you." The Brooding Captain grinds his teeth. There is the sound of sabres clashing."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"The first to enter is the Brooding Captain. You watch his medals gleam in the mirror. Though he is a heavy-set man, he makes no more noise than a shadow. [...]"
↑Adam's Way - Deliver the snuffer to the Avuncular Broker - "Inside is a chart, its folds stiff with zee-salt. The corner is stamped with the seal of the Empress herself. It is labelled 'First voyage of the Galatea, 1867' and shows a tenuous, roving course across the Unterzee."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"[...] An abhorrence of rusting quills screams at you, flaring its spines like an iron sun."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Before each step, you nudge the feathers aside with your toe. The glassy sounds are shrill in the cellars' hush. There are shapes in the dark: statues. The Recalcitrant Sculptress was gifted when she still had hands. Now, her works are crude; as twisted as dying oaks. This one has a set of stubby, vestigial arms protruding from the sides of its head. Another, further in, has a narrow torso covered in mouths. You pass between the monstrous statues as swiftly as you dare."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"The carcass of a goat stretches across the table. Around it, horrors congregate. [...] A weeping, horse-sized grub half-mounts the table [...]"
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"There is an undulating creature on the Bellicose Prince's bed, almost the size of a horse. In the low light, you cannot make out its form."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"The creature's translucent flesh spasms, sending rivulets of slime into the filthy counterpane. Its midsection is barely contained by a sheath of red fabric, and its tapered tail spills onto the floor. Its frilled mouth is smeared with honey, which froths as it tries to scream."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"The Empire billows outwards like smoke from a roaring fire. War is what fuels it. One day you shall lead an army into battle yourself, and you must be ready. You line tin soldiers along the nursery carpet and order them to massacre a horde of marauding dolls. With a paper tricorne atop your head, you mount your hobby-horse and charge at the enemy troops."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"There is more honey than you could possibly eat, in any flavour you desire. You ask for soldiers' memories, but there must be something wrong with the honey because these recollections taste only of boredom and pain. You cast the spoon aside and watch as your siblings eat, and grow monstrous."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"You are a young man now, and London is at war. Valiant soldiers are riding into Hell to rescue it from itself, just as the Empire's forces once spread across the Surface. This time, you shall be among them."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"When you were last seen outside the palace, you were just a boy, so no one will recognise you now. Your family are too honey-drunk to notice as you gather their trinkets so that you can pay your way to the front. You shall spill devil blood on the fields of Hell!"
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"You dreamed of a cavalry charge, but instead your platoon scurries into a trench like rats. The other men huddle together and try to sleep, but you keep yourself apart from them. There is no majesty in their souls."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"The lieutenant is a coward, and will not advance. When a rider brings him an envelope, you intercept it. It contains orders to retreat. Your heartbeat quickens. This campaign is your last chance for glory, and if you return to London—You burn the letter."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"Incandescent grubs bubble out of the earth, filling the trenches. They stink of your deepest shame. Most men fall to their knees into the glowing mire, but one hauls himself out of the trench and flees across the thorn-laced plains of Hell. In tears, you stumble after him until he is lost from view amid the roses."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"Alone, you crawl up an outcrop and fumble for your field-glasses. You watch helplessly as devils storm the glowing trenches, and herd the rest of the platoon into cages. This is your doing."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"Back at the palace, you stare at the military murals in disgust. Perhaps if you could understand how you became so despicable, you could reverse the process."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"For weeks, you let the bees tear away pieces of your mind. You relive the torture every time you swallow your own honey, but the agony is nothing to that of confronting yourself. Sometimes, the pain recedes enough for you to see what is happening to your body, but it comes as no surprise. This new form matches who you have always been."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"[...] He cannot talk, but he can communicate just well enough to bid me do that—" he hangs his head, "—and something else."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"A middle-aged man in regimental dress writhes upon the bed, damp with sweat, his head clutched in his hands. His medals clink as he spasms, and he cries out in pain. After some moments the worst of the torture appears to pass, and he drops his hands, revealing a moustache stained red with honey. He turns his pale blue eyes to you, but sees nothing."
↑A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London"When the day is won, you march to your mother's room to inform her of your triumph, but she closes the door in your face."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"At the very front, cross-legged on the floor, sits the Playful Prodigy. She has the cheeks of a cherub and blue, mischievous eyes."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Once, it was a pretty room of frills and lace. Now, ichorous cords stretch across it, knotting into bulbous nests in the corners. The furniture is caked in stringy secretions. A grand dolls' house stands in the middle of the room. Nine dolls sit within. The table in its dining-room is set with little honey-pots, painted red."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"The Playful Prodigy makes no sound as she stirs from the ceiling. You do not hear her unfold her spindly limbs. You do not see her long hands reach down, or the frightened, child-like faces that peer from each palm. You feel the needled finger, though, as it pricks a vein in your neck. Sharp as a bee sting."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"A happy voice rouses you. Delicate fingers are stroking your hair. "I knew you'd be perfect. So curious. So bold. So resolute. Thank you, for exceeding my estimation." You open your eyes. Tacky strands bind your arms and legs. The Captivating Princess kneels beside you."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Her needled fingers pierce your heart. Your memories of what follows are fractured; broken glass rattling in a box. She did not want your blood, though you lost plenty of that. No – she dug deeper, and dined on something less replaceable."
↑The Gift, Fallen London"'Thank you for playing your part with such commitment. I am happy to report that B_______ has blossomed. She has sloughed off her unfortunate infirmities and become exceptional: pleasing to the eye, an avid observer of the world, quick and generous. She has much to give. She speaks of you often: both of your virtues and your flavour. Soon, I will present her at a salon. I'm confident she will make a lasting impression.'"
↑The Gift, Fallen London"Only the Captivating Princess looks as she did in the mirror. Among the nightmares, her beauty is worst of all. It rakes your eyes like fire. Mercifully, your senses flee."
