Perhaps it was a dream. The thought had often occurred to her. Perhaps if she pinched herself, she would wake up. But she didn't want to wake up, especially not tonight. She wanted to stay in this dream world where she was loved. Where people cared. Where she was respected, even if that was just because people didn't know the truth. They could never know the truth, and they could never know about him. She herself wished she didn't know. So much pain and heartache could have been prevented if it weren't for him.
She pushed the thoughts from her mind and turned her attention back to the enormous gilded ballroom she found herself in. The room was packed with richly dressed nobility such as herself, and the floor swayed with dancers. She wandered along the wall with her head high, smiling demurely at one and all.
A voice from behind her spoke her name, and she turned to find Hamish, a handsome young lord, grinning confidently at her.
"Will you give me this dance?" he asked, bowing with an outstretched hand.
She took it daintily and followed him onto the floor. As the music led them through the steps of the dance, she slowly melted into his arms. The ballroom and its dancers vanished, and she was alone with Hamish. Alone but together. He drew her close, but some sudden instinct pulled her away. She stiffened and brought herself back to arm's length. The ballroom reappeared, and she trembled for her moment of weakness. Hamish was certainly a pleasant young gentleman, but she refused to let herself fall for any man ever again. She couldn't make the mistake of letting history repeat itself.
"Are you all right, my lady?" Hamish asked with a frown.
"Of course." But her tone was cold and curt.
Suddenly a door slammed open, and shouts sounded from across the room. The music screeched to a stop, and people craned their necks to see what was going on.
The lady found her feet carrying her through the crowd to the door, ignoring her instinct to run the other way. She cam to the edge of the well-dressed crowd and panic threatened to engulf her.
Hamish caught up with her and stared in confusion at the man who had just burst through the door from the kitchen.
"My lady, who is this man?" he demanded.
She couldn't answer. She locked her frightened gaze on the newcomer's wild one. Mud and rain soaked his coat, and his grey hair was ruffled, but she still recognized him, even after all these years.
"Ashildr, we need to talk."
The Doctor had found her.
Thanks so much for reading this, short as it is. I know it isn't much of a story in and of itself, but I felt that it would be a better one for letting people imagine the rest for themselves. I hope you enjoyed it for what it is, Whovians!