The UnLondon Account (SCP 1678)

Chapter 17 | Down Before the Queen

Aiden slammed the door shut behind us, blocking Donald from entering. I could hear him shouting from the other side but the heavy wooden door muffled his words. "Elise!" Aiden shouted, snapping my attention to him. I turned my head and he continued, "you go find the monarch I'll block the door. Sound good?"

I nodded in agreement. "Thank you" I responded.

Aiden immediately set about barricading the front exit, while I walked down the main hall. The main hall was large and adorned with painting along each wall, gold trimming almost ever surface. Polished wood, and a long crimson rug underneath my feet. Along the walls were gas lanterns, like the ones that lined every street of UnLondon. The main hall lead to another set of large doors, the doors were white and trimmed with gold, they looked expensive.

I gripped the golden door handle and pulled down. The lock clicked and I pulled the door open. Behind the door was another large room, the sides of which were barely illuminated, and the centre line of the floor covered by a similar crimson carpet. At the end of the room was a large golden throne with pipes stretching from the bottom piercing the stone floor. Behind the throne was stained glass window, the window depicted a man with a halo crucified on a cross. It was a depiction of Jesus's crucifixion, but all I could think of was Camilla's screams.

But more importantly sat on the throne was a figure, covered in radiant multi-coloured light from the window. The figure was adorned in a long flowing white dress, stitched with golden patterns of twisting flowers with thorns.

I was wary. But I still needed to confirm who the figure on the throne was.

"Who are you?" I questioned somewhat naively.

The figure's head raised up, atop the figures head was a crown. The crown had many pointed slopes and embedded with crimson jewels. "Is it not obvious?" The figure spoke, with a weak but powerful voice. For the first time I could infer that the figure was a woman.

"You're the monarch" I suggested, as I took a hesitant step towards the throne.

"She hits the nail on the head" the monarch confirmed.

I took another step. "Why did you do this? Any of this?" I asked.

The monarch rolled her head to the side. "You're avoiding something, I can smell it!" The monarch replies avoiding my question.

I took a few more steps, now I could see the monarch more clearly. The monarch looked frail, her dress seemed to barely hang onto her body, at one point I thought I could see her ribs poking through the dress. "No. You're avoiding my questions" I replied as I got closer.

"I like you. But there's a pain inside of you, places there by a man." I doze as she spoke. "A Man you once slept with" I had no idea how the monarch knew what she knew but her knowledge was near perfect. "A man who forced you down, and ignored your protesting."

I stopped moving and bowed my head, "h- how did you know that?"

"Oh my dear. I am UnLondon, in this city I am god."

"But why now, why didn't you act out before?"

The monarch rolled her head, seemingly out of annoyance. "Before, I didn't have a vessel, it was only until your people found this place and one of you wore my crown."

"Wait 'your people' are you saying that you are not the woman in front of me? But rather the crown?" I asked.

The monarch stood rather suddenly, "does this look like the form of a ruler!" The monarch was old and looked to be in her late eighties, her skin was covered in creases and wrinkles. Her face and body wee thin, her libs like sticks while her face resembles a hawk's beak.