On returning to the estate, I took a brief lunch and began investigations in the library. I searched for any records related to the geographic area around the site, and found nothing that indicated knowledge of the chamber, aside from one bit of folklore about a beast that could be heard groaning on certain cursed nights nearby. I made note of that, but turned my attention to the iconography of the site as the most sensible alternative lead.

The runes were an old script. Most such markings in Britain use Norse runes, but these were most similar to a small handful of pre-Roman sites we had on record. As such, there was no translation available, or even any certainty that it was something that held a translatable meaning; but it did suggest that the reason no one knew about it was that it predated any of the attempts to categorize these things. That did happen from time to time, but my search showed no other such site that was still active when it was found. This line of research led nowhere.
​
The spiral, however. There were precious few references to it, all in secret documents not to be studied outside of their storage room, which I only gained access to last year when I took over the main body of field work from father and had not needed before now. The few instances of this specific red spiral appearing were tied to events with major attempted disturbance to the magical equilibrium of Britain. What connected the events, aside from the spiral itself, was not immediately clear. However, I had somewhere to start. I determined to speak with father about this later and, if needed, to call on a source who has been on Britain long enough to know about this sort of thing.

Arrived at the site shortly after dawn to find it locked down. The construction barrier was still in place for the public, but a little further in was a hastily-constructed security stop that accepted my credentials. I had to park there and walk the rest of the way, led by one of the men who found the site. The work site was largely underground, as they were apparently excavating to build a basement when they found a chamber.

The opening was small. The man explained as we descended that they had been digging next to the chamber when a piece of wall broke through. They noticed it was man-made, but not on any of the records they had for the site, so they’d contacted the government for input. I thanked him for his input, and then stepped through the hole and, safely out of sight of the laborer, cast a light spell.

The chamber was about ten meters across and circular, with a few other chambers exiting off in other directions. The floor of the room was occupied by a massive red spiral, and the walls were lined with runes and sconces. I could feel an incredible amount of magical energy in the chamber, which confirmed that it was still active. This, of course, is a problem, as I found no record of a registered magical site in this location.

​I explored the side passages but found very little. I took a picture of an idol at the end of one passage, and another passage led to a dead end that looked as though it was originally an entrance that was blocked off. The third passage led down into the earth, but was collapsed partway through. I took more photographs of all the runes I could find, and the spiral, before heading back to the estate. I called Father on the way back to update him, but it seems he was in session. I will inform him of my findings later, in person.

This morning, I was called upon by the Queen to discuss a matter relevant to my office. I informed Michael to be on alert as I did not know what to expect from the meeting, and arrived at our usual chamber. As is my custom, I arrived first by way of my Gate and ensured the place was ready to receive her, then alerted the guard outside who inspected me and verified that I was expected.

It was only a few more minutes before Her Majesty arrived, just enough time for me to have tea ready. She took her usual chair by the fire, thanked me for the cup, and we sat together in silence for a moment. I dare say she takes longer these days before beginning, but far be it from me to suggest such a thing to her.

When she was ready, she inquired about the recent news article, about a construction site in Cornwall that had to stop after stumbling upon a point of archaeological interest. I confessed that I had seen the headline, tucked away somewhere in the paper this morning, but had not as yet read the article. She gave me the general sense of it, and then set her cup down. I asked if that was really all there was to it as I made to pour her another, but she stopped me.
I was then informed that the first impression of the affair was, indeed, that it was an historical site. However, upon inspection by the local historical society, it was declared ritual in nature and disconnected from the known history of the area. She asked me to see about the site’s registration, and I told her I would do so at once. I keep a copy of common records there, so I did not have to leave Her Majesty’s presence while I searched; as it turns out, the site was not registered at all.

​At the request of the crown, I contacted Michael to investigate the site and learn what purpose it may have, and to look into the owners. Hopefully it is simply an accident that it was not filed for registration, and he can have the matter sorted quickly with little more than some paperwork. The Queen and I then worked out a story to cover my son’s activities, and she thanked me for the tea before returning to her other affairs.

Case: Trial of Father Benedict Michel de Monte
Contents: Records and personal journal entries relating to a case handled by Lord Michael Hudson, current Magum Imperatoria* in service to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Notes:
File copied through arrangement with Church of England. CoE included copies of every record related to the case, as relevant context to the actions carried out by Fr. de Monte. These records are treated as incomplete as they do not include specific actions taken by two other individuals involved in the case. Attempts to retrieve records of this case from the office of John Matteson have been consistently turned aside by one Ms. Fox. Due to the nature of this case, no attempts to coordinate with American authorities to retrieve those records has been attempted. Information from public sources, such as personal blogs, have been included but their veracity cannot be assumed.

​*Magum Imperatoria: It has been suspected by the Holy See for some time that the Church of England has maintained a notable relationship with the supernatural and has entertained the use of magic for its purposes. Confirmation of a seated Imperial Wizard would seem to confirm this suspicion, as does the nature of Lord Hudson’s work as described in the case files. Future attempts to work with the Church of England should bear in mind this practice of consorting with demonic forces.