The Captivating Princess

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"Are you quite sure you want to know this?"

This page contains spoilers for the following Fate-locked content, Exceptional Stories, and Sunless Skies content: The Gift, The Marriage of Feducci, Reunion, A Crown of Thorns, Say It With Flowers, The Incognito Princess, and more. Proceed at your own risk.

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"The Captivating Princess was born in the year of the Fall. She wears scandal like a Parisian gown, and is rumoured to have a taste for honey."[1]

The Captivating Princess is the Traitor Empress's youngest child, and the only non-historical member of the British royal family. She was born in 1862, the year of the Fall of London.

Quite the Delight[edit | edit source]

"It is very hard to pretend not to notice when the Princess enters a room. Her skin as pale as the lost moon, on which so many poets have broken similes like ships against cliffs. Her eyes of no single colour. Her scent, so distinctive, so almost like honey. Her presence: she draws the air from the room like a fire."[2]

The Captivating Princess is an impossibly beautiful young royal with skin as pale as the moon, dark brown hair, and eyes that might seem to change color with the light.[3] Unlike the rest of her family, who rarely stray far from the Shuttered Palace, she is very much a social butterfly. Though the Princess occasionally dabbles in charity,[4] she is far more infamous for her indulgences, with her honey habit chief among them.[5] Her escapades are regularly reported in the press[6] - but far from damaging her reputation, scandal only seems to deepen her mystique;[7] she is a coveted guest at every salon.[8]

Londoners usually react one of two ways when speaking of or interacting with the Princess: complete adoration,[9] or pants-soiling terror.[10][11] Both would be justified; she is equally famous for her beauty and status, and infamous for her profound and gleeful cruelty. Her suitors are endless, obsessive - and often short-lived,[12] as several have reportedly ended their own lives.[13][14][15] Even more have simply disappeared without a trace, and were eventually found transformed into twisted creatures[16] that the Princess essentially kept as pets.[17] Suffice it to say, the Princess goes through suitors like clothing, and pays special attention to the ones that got away.[18] Her nefarious activity extends to anyone in her way as well; she is proficient in psychological manipulation[19] (including an uncanny ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth),[20] delights in making people squirm,[21] and engages in a dramatic degree of aggression and destruction when her wishes are refused.[22][23] Even the Palace servants are terrified of her,[24] as there are always consequences for drawing her ire.[25] As is typical for someone raised in supreme luxury, she has a haughty and condescending attitude toward the lower classes.[26][27]

Feducci, husband of the Captivating Princess.

The Captivating Princess is peculiar in her habits. Everything in her chambers must be arranged in a precise order, and no matter how much a mess she has made of her room, a servant arrives each morning to restore it to its exact original state.[28][29] She also has lofty ambitions: she intends to invade the Elder Continent one day.[30][31] To this end, she has taken an interest in Port Carnelian,[32] and has expressed a strong desire to see London's Navy returned to its former glory.[33] This was also a possible political motivation for her marriage to Feducci.[citation needed]

In Parabola, the Princess's dream-self is as commanding as her waking form; her mere presence both attracts and annihilates Parabolan flora.[34] Her eyes gleam red,[35] and she is surrounded by a star-like radiance[36] that burns brightly enough to scorch other dreamers.[37] The Princess spends much of her time in a blank, far-off corner of Parabola,[38] but her third-favorite (the second-favorite remains to be seen) features a cultivated garden of people from her mother's court.[39] In this dreamscape, she relaxes on a chaise while her admirers bask in her light,[40] in an apparent reflection of how she cultivates acquaintances.[41] This may explain the transformation of her suitors to some extent, as proximity to her warps minds and bodies alike.[42]

Family Matters[edit | edit source]

"The change imposed by the Red Honey was a gift. As it was to me. The rest of our family proved... inadequate to the wonders on offer. They grew indulgent, lazy. He had potential to be more, as I am. He should have grown up here, with me."[43]

The Princess spent her early life in the suffocating seclusion of the Shuttered Palace. She often found herself quite bored, and gradually became envious of her eldest sister, the Empress' Shadow, who remained on the Surface.[44] Upon reaching adulthood, the Princess invited the Shadow and her husband Frederick, the heir to the Prussian throne, to the Neath; she then tempted Frederick to stay in the Neath for a prolonged period of time.[45] When the unfortunate prince finally returned after his father's death, his time in the Neath caused him to be vulnerable to sunlight, and he died a few months into his reign.[45] The Princess was disturbingly pleased with this outcome.[46]

A spoonful of gaoler's honey.

After the Fall of London, the royal children became regular users of gaoler's honey.[47] At some point, however, they consumed a "contaminated" strain of honey[48][49] that transformed them into monsters.[50] The Princess did not escape this fate,[51] and became a giant insectoid horror.[52] Unlike her siblings, however, she recovered.[53] She reconstituted her human form by stealing bits of others' personalities,[54] acquiring supernatural allure in the process.[55][56] The Princess still has some traits from her monstrous self, like excellent night vision, a thirst for blood,[57] and a fondness for snacking on large wasps.[58] Since red honey is demonstrated to have a disturbing effect on the development of infants,[59] it is possible that the Princess's lifelong honey habit contributed to her sadistic and sociopathic traits.

For her part, the Princess views red honey as essential to a royal upbringing, like the royal jelly fed to a queen bee,[60] and considers its transformative effects to be a sort of metamorphosis[61] that the rest of her family simply did not take to as well as she did.[62] She wishes for her family to follow her path back to something resembling humanity, though they are reluctant, and she often feuds with the Brooding Captain over the subject.[63][64] Even her mother, the Empress, refuses to touch red honey despite the Princess's best efforts.[65]

Mayoral Campaign[edit | edit source]

"The Captivating Princess announced her candidacy from the balcony of the Shuttered Palace, in a show of defiance to constitutional norms, separation of crown and state, and good taste. Since the announcement, Her Highness has embarked on a dizzying whirl of hustings, balls, society luncheons and angry demonstrations. She is determined to restore London to its former magnificence. A city to delight the eye, the ear, the appetite."[66]

The Princess ran for Mayor of London in 1896. Tired of the endless flattery from her courtiers and the stifling assumptions others made about her,[67] she resolved to reframe the city through the lens of art, using beauty as a mirror for self-expression and civic transformation.[68] Under the slogan "Make London Magnificent For Me,"[69] she promised a London that would be proud of its beauty: public art would foster public pride; the city’s singular strangeness would be celebrated, not suppressed.[70] She would beautify London in her own image, through fantastical architectural projects,[71] enthusiastic patronage of the arts, and a grand citywide art competition that she would judge at the end of her term.[72] The Princess managed her own campaign;[73] as a consequence, her platform swayed wildly with her every passing whim.[74] She commissioned artists, scouted venues, and considered locations for artistic displays - though she would apparently rather demolish an impoverished neighborhood like Spite[75] and build a palace in its place.[71]

Her campaign antics were as flamboyant as expected: she rode through the streets in a sedan chair (alongside a number of body doubles who did the same),[76] tossing handfuls of money to the crowds, inciting riots, and even briefly attempting to cure bystanders' diseases before losing interest.[77] Her supporters included bohemians, infatuated suitors, and a great many architects, sculptors, and city planners.[78] Ultimately, the Jovial Contrarian won the election; the Princess was incensed, having already prepared a victory speech of considerable length, and retreated to her playroom to work through her frustration in private.[79]

An Even Larger Tiara[edit | edit source]

"I am Queen Victoria's daughter," she says. "I trust your discretion."[80]

The Princess, speaking the language of the stars? God help us all.

In the Sunless Skies timeline, the Princess went to the High Wilderness along with her mother and the rest of London. Desiring independence, she now roams space as the Incognito Princess. She hasn't aged a day, and her beauty still makes people do disturbing things. This is probably for the best when attempting to remain Incognito, as her idea of an adequate disguise is a somewhat less expensive tiara.[81]

Since taking to the skies, something in the Princess has blossomed, and whatever restraints once held her power in check have been stripped away. She inspires awe and delirium in equal measure; humans and beasts alike fall to their knees in her presence.[82] A single command can have a crowd prostrate themselves,[83] set them joyfully aflame with Correspondence,[84] or even make them disappear.[85] Her beauty has grown from overwhelming to apocalyptic, inducing despair so profound it compels some individuals to blind themselves, knowing nothing else could ever compare to the sight of her.[86] Even reality itself seems to bend toward her, like a planet to its star: she can halt objects in motion with a flick of her wrist,[87] and extract the very essence of a person with just a look.[88]

The Princess left the monstrous form of her past at Piranesi.[89] She now wishes to be Queen,[90] but is impeded by her mother's newfound immortality, so she instead aims to marry the Prince of Hell imprisoned in the Well of the Wolf.[91] (Presumably, Feducci is no longer in the picture.)

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Share a little honey with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London
  2. ↑ Your Salon: invite the Captivating Princess as a guest of honour (1 FATE), Fallen London
  3. ↑ Your Salon: invite the Captivating Princess as a guest of honour (1 FATE), Fallen London "It is very hard to pretend not to notice when the Princess enters a room. Her skin as pale as the lost moon, on which so many poets have broken similes like ships against cliffs. Her eyes of no single colour. Her scent, so distinctive, so almost like honey. Her presence: she draws the air from the room like a fire."
  4. ↑ Turn in the Captivating Princess' Confession, Fallen London "The Gazette never comments upon the intimate affairs of Her Highness or her family. Still, they are members of Society, and their public work is noted. In the Hallowmas edition, a small article on the fourteenth page details the charitable activities of the Captivating Princess. [...]"
  5. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "The Captivating Princess wears scandal like a shawl. There are rumours about her associations with honey. They are not good rumours."
  6. ↑ Help the poor fellow out, Fallen London "You scan your morning paper […]. The interminable dock strike. The bat forecast. The outrageous antics of the Captivating Princess. [...]"
  7. ↑ Share a little honey with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "The Captivating Princess was born in the year of the Fall. She wears scandal like a Parisian gown, and is rumoured to have a taste for honey."
  8. ↑ Keep an ear to the ground, Fallen London "It is whispered that the Captivating Princess herself has developed an interest in collecting coins. As a result, fashionable salons throughout the city now gather to show off their own collections."
  9. ↑ Your Salon: invite the Captivating Princess as a guest of honour, Fallen London "Everyone turns when the Princess walks in. In fact, they turned when they heard the muffled hooves of her carriage-horses on the cobbles outside. [...] But they had been studiously pretending not to notice."
  10. ↑ Obtain the Captivating Princess' Third-Best Tiara, Fallen London "The Fisher-Kings make sport of yanking hats from heads by way of rooftop perches and fishing lines. Slivvy handles the tiara as if it might explode. [...] "I don't want to think what she would have done if she lost the good one." Slivvy looks relieved to have it out of his possession. "The Fisher-Kings went into hiding for weeks after they caught it.""
  11. ↑ Put up a statue in honour of the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "When you tell the Bohemian Sculptress the subject of the new commission, she turns the vivid colour of a vicar who's suddenly woken up at the Parlour of Virtue with no recollection of how he got there."
  12. ↑ Read the paper while this goes on, Fallen London "[...] You flip over to the Society pages. It seems like the Captivating Princess has been seen with a new suitor, though no casualties were reported this time."
  13. ↑ A little word with the newspapers, Fallen London "A lover of the Captivating Princess has thrown himself into the river. He's not the first of her paramours to do so. Palace authorities would like you to suppress the story."
  14. ↑ Discuss possibilities at a discreet salon, Fallen London "...although it never made it to the newspapers, I think this fellow is one of the former lovers of the Captivating Princess. He jumped into the river when she ignored him at a party, I hear. I wonder if he's with the drownies now."
  15. ↑ Turn the page, Fallen London "Columns filled with trite gossip [...]; the latest observations on the Captivating Princess' comings and goings; obituaries for a few moderately notable figures, including the Gazette's latest Captivating Princess columnist."
  16. ↑ Return the comb, Fallen London "As she walks away, you get a better look at the bundle she's carrying. Something alive – a little like a worm, a little like a mole. An eyeless groping thing, maybe the size of a small toddler, covered in pinkish skin and a swaddling-cloth made of blue silk. It squirms and coos in the Princess' arms; something about it radiates delight."
  17. ↑ Attend a ball with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "The ball takes place in a disused stateroom. Dust clouds the lights, the furniture, and the guests. "We don't let them out often," she tells you, as she places the blindfold around your eyes. "Don't believe the stories. Not every suitor dies." Hands take yours. The evening progresses in darkness."
  18. ↑ Attend a ball with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "She whisks you down a long gallery, where decaying oil portraits frown down upon you. "Discarded suitors. Vienna, Paris, the Skin of the Sun, the King of Carols, Dubrovnik," she sighs languorously, "None were right." She gestures to an empty frame, covered in bandages. "Unfortunately that one got away. One day I'll get him back. [...]"
  19. ↑ Make the campaign a great deal more frightening, Fallen London "Terrify the public yet further, then exploit their state of mind. The Captivating Princess will know exactly how to achieve it."
  20. ↑ Say it With Flowers, Fallen London "The Captivating Princess holds your chin in her sharp nailed hand. She stares, intently, at your face. [...] "I believe you." And with that, you are dismissed. [...]"
  21. ↑ Return the comb, Fallen London "She takes it from your hand and proffers it to the Maidservant. "Do return this to its proper place when you come in to work tomorrow morning." The Maidservant's hands shake as she takes the comb, clutching the little ivory trinket to her body. [...] She doesn't stop to ask who stole it, or why. You have an inkling that she already knows. Perhaps you were merely on the periphery of one of her games. Or perhaps she just makes everything seem like one of her games."
  22. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "The Princess' expression is incredulous. "What did you say?" She stands up. There is a knife in her hand. It is only a butter knife, but she clutches it tight. [...] She shoves the table, which sends plates spinning to the floor. She treads on meat as she advances. She has dropped the knife. She does not need it."
  23. ↑ Say it With Flowers, Fallen London "[...] She took the news the same way she does any that doesn't suit her: smashing ornaments, screaming at weeping servants, and finally, disappearing into a honey den. She is expected to emerge... at some point."
  24. ↑ The Missing Comb: A Suspect Emerges, Fallen London "[...] the Palace staff [...] all have a healthy terror of the Princess and all that she touches."
  25. ↑ My Kingdom for a Pig, Fallen London "As he pours a glass, the Veteran Privy Counsellor mentions the entirely unrelated fact that a building belonging to the University's Pre-Lapsarian Archaeology Department recently burned to the ground. Perhaps you saw the smoke? [....] What happened was officially a coincidence, of course. Luckily you didn't make the bargain. [...]"
  26. ↑ Say it With Flowers, Fallen London "A footman dressed in the sombre uniform of the palace stands on your step. He gives a deep bow as the Captivating Princess sweeps inside. She makes a disgusted noise, like a cat coughing up hair. "I cannot understand why you live here. I should not have to see such things.""
  27. ↑ Say it With Flowers, Fallen London "[...] It is a moment before the Princess realises that this is your house, and that it is she who must leave. "This place is repellent. Move somewhere nicer." And she is gone. The footman didn't even shut the front door."
  28. ↑ "From the beginning, madam.", Fallen London "[...] The Princess likes things just so in her chambers, down to the precise positions of things on her dresser. The Maidservant's job is just that, organising this dresser. She has memorised the exact placement and condition of everything. [...] Every morning, no matter the state the Princess' chambers may be in – she doesn't elaborate on what 'states' they are oft found in – she enters and makes sure it is exactly as it was before."
  29. ↑ Ask about possible culprits, Fallen London "[...] Her Highness has plenty of... visitors. I never see them, I only clean up the aftermath."
  30. ↑ Attend a ball with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "You arrive at the Shuttered Palace and are handed a mask. It is a white fox. The Princess arrives. Her mask is a white lion. "I've heard of kingdoms where these walk," she says, "One day I shall wear their pelts. Come.""
  31. ↑ The Marriage of Feducci, Fallen London "[...] The Princess does nothing by halves. She is avid, rapacious... [....] You'll win new titles once she storms the Elder Continent. Enjoy the spoils. [....]"
  32. ↑ Look for the Veteran Privy Counsellor, Fallen London "We've been following your prog— [...] captivating princess has an interest in [...] Port Carnelian. [...] if a notably successful governor invited her [...] she would [...] invite them to Court."
  33. ↑ Your Salon: invite the Captivating Princess as a guest of honour, Fallen London "[...] A Dark-Spectacled Admiral shrinks before her like a whipped dog. "...the seas," she is saying. "And now the Lords concern themselves with other matters. Luminous matters." Her voice is thorned with contempt. "Where are our fleets, Admiral? Where the ships that ruled the waves?"."
  34. ↑ Stare into the glow that is the Princess, Fallen London "When she walks the Viric Jungle, epiphytic orchids swivel on their roots to face her. Some turn jet-black. Some die instantly."
  35. ↑ Share a little honey with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "[...] She whispers in your ear. "There are other honeys," she says. "Are you the one who will share them with me?" Her eyes gleam red, here in the field you dream together. Something terrifying has leached into the air. But she is mesmerising."
  36. ↑ Stare into the glow that is the Princess, Fallen London "She is brilliant. Radiant. Incandescent. All the metaphors for beauty that also suggest being roasted alive."
  37. ↑ Stare into the glow that is the Princess, Fallen London "The dream-light of her presence is ablating the flesh from your dream-body. What is being revealed is the skeleton of a profound truth."
  38. ↑ Tend the Captivating Princess' Dream-Garden, Fallen London "The Princess' favourite dream takes place elsewhere, on a distant and featureless plain on the edges of Parabola. It is not a place worth visiting."
  39. ↑ Tend the Captivating Princess' Dream-Garden, Fallen London "Her third-favourite dream takes place here. It is crowded with the images of others – personages from the Empress' Court."
  40. ↑ Dreams: The Captivating Princess' Dream-Garden, Fallen London "Half-lidded and splendid, she reclines on a chaise in the centre of the garden. All around her, the courtiers stand in neat rows, buried up to their ankles in soil. They all face her, of course, eyes wide open, drinking in her incandescence."
  41. ↑ Care for the rooted courtiers, Fallen London "There are watering pails; they are filled with a treacly crimson substance. There are bags of potting soil; they are filled with shards of glass. With tender care, you apply both to the feet of the buried courtiers. They can't really move, of course, but they do their best to squirm and coo in delight."
  42. ↑ Make a thorough examination of the Princess' orangery, Fallen London "The Princess' 'flowers' are [...] all arranged in concentric circles around the Princess herself, and the closer they get to her, the more warped they become. Here's a Minister for Something or Other, [...] terrified, planted on the very furthest plot. Here are the twin scions of minor nobility, recently risen in her estimations, still showing the discomfort and ecstasy of being uprooted and replanted. Here's a courtier no one has seen at court in a very long time indeed. Or, at least, a [...] weed that wears his face. It's growing frantically [...] its stems are too wilted and feeble; they keep breaking before they can reach her."
  43. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London
  44. ↑ A Confession of the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "These are pages torn from a journal, detailing the Captivating Princess' childhood, sequestered in the Shuttered Palace. She writes of her boredom and her fierce envy of her elder sister, still on the surface, married to Frederick, the heir to the Prussian throne."
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 A Confession of the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "Once she'd reached adulthood, the Captivating Princess extended an invitation to the royal couple to visit her below. The Princess paid particular attention to the Prussian heir, introducing him to all of the delights of the Neath. When his wife departed, Frederick tarried, until his father's death compelled him to return to the Surface. Frederick assumed the throne, but died only ninety-nine days later. The sun is not kind to those who linger overlong in the Neath."
  46. ↑ The Captivating Princess' Confession, Fallen London "A confession written in a clasped journal and bound in lambskin. A tone of triumph undermines the confession's purported remorse."
  47. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "They are new to this, and prone to squabbling. Wings are pulled, limbs plucked. The once favoured nanny trembles, as her old charge lovingly pins back her ears. The swarm, when it comes, is swift. The family lingers over the hives, waiting for the honey to come. Eventually, they tire, and the lure of honey nearer at hand draws them away, into red dreams. The dream carries you with it."
  48. ↑ A Crown of Thorns, Fallen London "The colony is troubled. We try to control whose memories they are allowed to harvest, but some years ago there was a contaminant. The bees started attacking their own. Before we could sample the honey for an explanation, it was gone. Torn away in chunks."
  49. ↑ The Gift, Fallen London "A Sprightly Septuagenarian drones about the revels of his youth to a patient ingénue. "...and the gaoler's honey flowed like a river! Or at least a tributary. There were tureens of it. Vats! We didn't know, then, of course. Terrible thing. Bad strain. Hence all this..." he waves a vague hand at the darkness."
  50. ↑ 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 next chair is filled with flopping serpentine coils. A weeping, horse-sized grub half-mounts the table, while opposite, a gaunt thing shivers in a coat of glass feathers. An abhorrence of rusting quills screams at you, flaring its spines like an iron sun."
  51. ↑ Locate the 'silly old thing' for the Princess, Sunless Skies "When I was a lesser person than I am now, [...] I had awful habits. I went through a phase that was best described as monstrous. Too much wild red honey, I'm afraid."
  52. ↑ Don't trap the princess, Sunless Skies "[...] She is dragging a leviathanical skin of monstrous appearance – it must have once covered some gargantuan insectoid beast."
  53. ↑ 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."
  54. ↑ The Gift, Fallen London "I am sorry. You know I'm fond of you, but family must come first. If it helps, the virtues that I so regard in you are what my sister needs. Your curiosity, your determination. They will make her all she can be."
  55. ↑ The Gift, Fallen London "Suitors throng about her. Salons feud for her attendance. Even the mustiest of baronets are prepared to butter you up in the hopes you'll speak well of them to her."
  56. ↑ The Gift, Fallen London "Society effuses about her. What poise! What charity! And her taste in gifts! Why, the Whisper-Satin rouche she bestowed upon the young Lord H_______ complemented his eyes perfectly, before that jealous painter plucked them out. And the glass serpent she gave to Lady B_________ was a marvel. It's a miracle it survived the fire."
  57. ↑ The Captivating Princess, Fallen London "You find her alone in the Onyx Room, surrounded by the corpses of guards and looters. The air stinks of blood and cordite. [...] "I see quite well in the dark," [...] you see blood smeared around her mouth. She shrugs. "They were basically dead," she explains."
  58. ↑ The Captivating Princess, Fallen London "The fashion is wrought-iron patio furniture and coffee under electric lights. You take a bite out of a square of mille-feuille. The Princess has brought her own food, an eccentricity that would be rude on anyone other than her. One delicate hand takes a thumb-sized wasp out of a jar, and brings it to her lips."
  59. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "Your baby smiles up at you as they bring you to him. He has all of his teeth; most are stained in crimson red. "There you are, your baby says with impatience. His expression is old, his voice preternaturally mature. He struggles to articulate some of the more complex sounds, but the meaning is clear. "I have been waiting for far too long. They have quite exhausted the servants." He pouts. "They have such mundane lives. I thought I would expire from boredom.""
  60. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "As a babe in arms, you fed on this like milk. [...] To my mind, it is the only substance suitable for a proper royal upbringing."
  61. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "Ashamed! They did not think themselves in suitable condition to meet you - though really, they are well advanced comparatively. She dabs at her lips with a napkin. "Silly, really. Why should the butterfly be ashamed to look at the caterpillar?"
  62. ↑ Reunion, Fallen London "The change imposed by the Red Honey was a gift. As it was to me. The rest of our family proved... inadequate to the wonders on offer. They grew indulgent, lazy. He had potential to be more, as I am. He should have grown up here, with me."
  63. ↑ 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."
  64. ↑ Say it With Flowers, Fallen London "[...] I am forced to trust you, as the only participant in this charade who is not owned or influenced by my sister. Her Royal Highness wishes to cause a rift between myself and our sister in Prussia. Fortunately, I am apprised of her intentions. [...] My sister's interference is reprehensible."
  65. ↑ The Season of Animals, Fallen London "[...] It is the Traitor Empress, herself. A woman stands straight-backed in front of her. [...] "If you wanted, you could take it. Your children—" The woman is stopped by the Empress who raises her stick. "Honestly, mother, sometimes I think you've given up." [...] the standing woman hurls her glass into the fireplace and leaves. Her Majesty, however, does not move from her chair. You hear a soft noise that might be weeping. [...]"
  66. ↑ The Captivating Princess, Fallen London
  67. ↑ Attend a ball with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "Honestly? I'm entirely bored. I am either fawned on or feared, or – worst of all – pawed at by the infatuated. Everyone believes they know me, because of my family."
  68. ↑ Attend a ball with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "Art is the purest form of self-expression, I'm told. I'll show everybody who I really am. Everyone will take part! London will never be the same, once it has seen its true self. "
  69. ↑ Choose the Captivating Princess as your candidate, Fallen London "Her Majesty's most public child, the Captivating Princess attracts scandal like a candle attracts moths. Her slogan is 'Make London magnificent for me.'"
  70. ↑ Learn more about the Captivating Princess' platform, Fallen London "What I want is for London to be proud of its name and of its potential. I want us to take advantage of our unusual situation. Public art; public pride. We are unique. Let us celebrate that."
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Ask the Princess' opinion of Mr Slowcake, Fallen London "The Princess is assigning piles of leaflets to her supporters to hand out to the public. The leaflets depict fantastic designs for monumental architecture in Spite. On closer inspection, on Spite."
  72. ↑ Ask the Captivating Princess about her plan for London, Fallen London "I believe art ennobles. The city is squalid. It is depressed. It needs things of beauty; to inspire and swell the heart." She pauses. "Practically speaking, I mean to host a competition for more public art. We'll have a grand show at the end of it. I will judge."
  73. ↑ Choose a Target: The Captivating Princess' Campaign, Fallen London "The Princess' campaign is being managed by the Princess herself. A manager was, apparently, suggested by a senior palace official. Her Highness' response was to blink slowly and say, simply, "But why?""
  74. ↑ Choose a Target: The Captivating Princess' Campaign, Fallen London "As a result, Her Highness' campaign is prone to change based on the Princess' whims. A short-lived exercise asking voters what kind of art they liked was swiftly abandoned when, as the Princess put it, "They gave boring answers." The new policy is 'Liberating London from the Anodyne Menace'."
  75. ↑ Choose a Target: The Captivating Princess' Campaign, Fallen London "Artists are being sought from across the Neath. Venues are being considered. The former Century Exhibition, Mahogany Hall, Prickfinger Wastes, Spite ("I dislike it."). The only criterion for entries is 'they won't be possible to forget.'"
  76. ↑ Upset the Captivating Princess' dignity, Fallen London "[…] she's apparently been making use of decoys on the campaign trail […]"
  77. ↑ The Captivating Princess (Card), Fallen London "The Princess' path through London on the campaign trail is easy to follow. She travels through London in a large gilded sedan, carried by six of Benthic College's burliest rowers. She has a habit of scattering coins where she goes, ignoring the ensuing riots and – twice – attempted to cure scrofula, though was swiftly distracted."
  78. ↑ The Captivating Princess (Card), Fallen London "She is trailed by adoring Bohemians, besotted Society gents and ladies, and a great many architects, sculptors and city planners."
  79. ↑ Have a word with the Captivating Princess, Fallen London "[...] "I shouldn't go after Her Highness, if I were you. [....] I think she's gone to the playroom." He fumbles in his jacket, and produces a sheaf of papers. [...] The pages are damp, and covered in writing. It appears to be a victory speech of a kind. It would have lasted a whole week to read out, judging by the length. It's all been angrily scrawled over. Apparently a member of the blood royal has never been treated with such disrespect since Charles I."
  80. ↑ Incognito Princess, Sunless Skies
  81. ↑ Prove oneself a fit confidant, Sunless Skies "Thrilled by your tales, the Princess invites you to her quarters. "I have a secret," she says, removing her tiara before donning a second, more expensive tiara. "I am Queen Victoria's daughter," she says. "I trust your discretion.""
  82. ↑ The Red Salon, Sunless Skies "The Princess sits upon an indigo velvet armchair, held aloft by four adoring scions of great houses. Around her, various luminaries of the British establishment lounge in postures of surrender. Honey and wine flows like spilled blood."
  83. ↑ Shove them out the way!, Sunless Skies "You push but you only manage to distress your garments. The Princess' patience gives way and she whistles. Everyone in front of her falls to the ground; she walks over their bodies. You follow her to the front."
  84. ↑ Wait for just one more, Sunless Skies "[...] You can find the words. If not English, perhaps words more celestial?" After a brief moment, they find a language whose shapes sound ill-fitted for a human palette. They rush on, joyously. One poet's tongue ignites. Then another. Then a third. Soon, every poet has a mouthful of flame, and still they don't stop. In the middle of the conflagration stands the Princess, beaming. [...]"
  85. ↑ Ask her highness about the rumours, Sunless Skies "The crew whisper of all the engineers in Perdurance just disappearing, leaving naught behind but sporadic ghostly screams in the machinery. Is this true?"
  86. ↑ Offer her a berth on your locomotive, Sunless Skies "As she steps aboard, a commoner calmly takes a spoon from his pocket and scoops out his eyes. "After such radiance, all else is tawdry!" he says, between screams."
  87. ↑ Throw the ring into the well, Sunless Skies "With a flick of your wrist the ring starts to arc downwards, into the well. The princess gasps, and then reaches out her hand. The ring stops, miraculously suspended, caught by the uncanny allure all matter holds for the Princess. It seems she can match the draw of a well."
  88. ↑ Throw the ring into the well, Sunless Skies "[...] In the half second as she tumbles forward, she glances back at you, those divine eyes wide with alarm and panic. The connection of the moment is absolute. She cannot save herself, but she takes part of you with her."
  89. ↑ Locate the 'silly old thing' for the Princess, Sunless Skies "The Incognito Princess left a 'silly old thing' in a the most secure prison in the skies. She wants it back.."
  90. ↑ Make conversation with the Princess, Sunless Skies "For a change," she says, with a smile. "After all – I am a princess. The ambition of any princess worthy of the name is not to remain so."
  91. ↑ Watch a Farewell, Sunless Skies "I have such terrific news. I am to be married! [...] It's a perfect match. You are aware of the ur-devil who was once the Many-Mouthed – whose children are the chorister bees? It's him! It is a trifle complicated, I'll admit. We plan to maintain separate residences. He's trapped eternally down a well. I love him very much – almost as much as I love the status I'll achieve once we're wed. Do I have your permission?"
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