A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for clicking on this story! The idea had been floating around in my mind for over a year and I finally decided to write it down. I am currently writing this note while I am in the process of writing chapter 36 because I wanted to warn you that I do take liberties with the story. Due to recent reviews assuming that I am unaware of what is and is not canon, I thought I would warn everyone prior to their reading the story.
First, I know the names Theta Sigma and Koschei are not canon as being their true names, but I, along with many other writers, choose to use these names as their true names. Different writers use true names in different ways with different levels of secrecy and importance surrounding them. I choose to use the names as every day names between Time Lords on Gallifrey. While the names are said around humans, it is always while the Time Lords are speaking Gallifreyan so the humans can't understand it.
Second, I take small liberties with how I portray the lives of the Master and the Doctor while they are on Gallifrey. I am aware that, according to canon, the Doctor had grandchildren on Gallifrey. Without giving too much away, I can say that I allude to the Doctor having at least one child on Gallifrey, but that's about it for now until I work on the plot a little more.
Third, this story switches between following certain 10th Doctor episodes to my own writing. There is a method to my madness. This story is primarily about the Master and my Time Lady OC and it follows the events post-Utopia, during the 18 months the Master was on Earth, during the Year that Never Was, skips to my writing, picks up at the return of the Master, and then finally back to my writing again.
Finally, thank you to everyone who is genuinely interested in reading this story. I love this story, and while I know there are some parts that don't line up 100% with the canon, I am proud of how may things I am able to incorporate correctly (especially later on in the story). I have never seen a story exactly like this one, and I love the idea of it. I am so thankful for everyone else who gives it a chance and especially those who review it, so I know how it's going. If you don't like the story, tell me why instead of "schooling" me on the series. That's not constructive, that's you showing off and I'm not an idiot.
Oliviana swayed at the precipice overlooking the lake below. Looking at her distant reflection, she sighed, disenchanted and discarded. Bitter, anguished tears welled up in her eyes as she cast the locket at her likeness, the ripples severing the reflection's face.
The rapidly vanishing sun reminded her that her protector was lost. The one person who was a benevolent constant in her life since her birth was no more; his ashes were scattered into the bitter wind no more than two hours prior. Oliviana's hearts yearned for one more day with him, one more day to tell her elder brother how much he really meant to her. But all hope was futile. He was lost, and she was alone.
She remembered how her mother wept, collapsing at base of her brother's funeral pyre in utter desolation, acquaintances in attendance regarding the spectacle with morbid fascination. Oliviana's father mourned the fall of the House of Everton more so than he mourned his deceased successor, and the sentiment manifested on his ashen face.
Oliviana remembered how she stood paralyzed, her emerald eyes transfixed on the nauseating scene before her, exactly as she had done the night she saw her brother's ripped out hearts palpitate for the final time.
Koschei had attended the funeral, of course. He remained resolutely at her side throughout its entirety. His hand clutched hers as her mind was absorbed in incessant blackness once more. As the flames towered menacingly over the pyre, Koschei drew her stunned body into his arms, caressing her back until all that was left of her brother were chalky ashes and dying embers.
Theta Sigma had also attended the funeral, but instead of consoling his fiancee, he lingered near the back of the gathering. He should have realized that his best friend would be the one to hold Oliviana and brush away her tears.
As the crowd began to disperse, leaving the immediate family and friends to make peace with the death one last time, Theta's eyes locked with Koschei's. Koschei instinctively tightened his embrace around Oliviana as shot Theta a brief, threatening glance. The drums thundered inside of Koschei's head as a feeling of desperate protectiveness heaved inside of him. Quelling his jealousy and rage, Theta retreated toward the Capitol to resume his trial.
Oliviana nestled her head against Koschei's chest, allowing her mind to find its way out of the blackness and into the present moment. "Koschei," she whimpered feebly, her fine fingers grasping his saturated shirt and her glistening eyes raising to meet his anxious ones. "Koschei, will you take me to the cliffs?"
Koschei wanted to decline, wanted to warn her against any dramatic behavior that might panic her parents further, but he knew that he could never withstand her quivering lower lip and desperate expression. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and nodded his consent, only composing himself once Oliviana's head rested against his chest again.
"Will you carry me there, Koschei?" she murmured, "I fear my legs will not move right now."
Submitting to her wishes once more, Koschei scooped her up into his arms. Oliviana snuggled up to his body, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. Evading her parents, Koschei walked across the rolling fields of crimson grass.
When Koschei came upon the cliffs overlooking the silvery lake, Oliviana asked him to put her back onto her feet. Her voice and demeanor had a haunted quality to it that Koschei couldn't quite discern. "Oliviana," he uttered, managing for the first time today to address her in words. Oliviana turned to face him for a moment, before advancing toward the edge of the cliff.
Koschei felt an awful sense of dread as he watched Oliviana throw a rock into the lake below. He felt lost at how to soothe her agony, hopeless at how to make her eyes twinkle with delight once more. Even though their race had control of time, no amount of vortex manipulation would be enough to bring her brother back to her, to erase the image of his mutilated body from her mind.
Oliviana took a few steps away from the cliff, a pained look twisting the fine features of her face. She remembered the way her brother had howled in pain as his tormentor carved into his chest, remembered how she just stood there, let it happen because she was too terror-stricken to move. She was as much responsible for her brother's death as was the man who killed him.
Koschei would never be able to delineate the moment when he knew Oliviana had come apart at the seams. In a span of a few moments, Oliviana's retreat away from the cliffside reversed into a swift charge toward the land's edge, and the only thing that had prevented her from plummeting into the freezing waters was Koschei's powerful interception.
Oliviana cried out as she was forced to the earth, pinned down by the weight of Koschei's body.
"What were you thinking?" Koschei exclaimed in confused indignation, not willing to release her yet. He feared that she would try another stunt like that one again.
Oliviana trembled, looking away from Koschei's scrutinizing gaze in shame. "I can't do this anymore, Koschei. I miss him," she groaned, sobs racking her body.
"You will always miss your brother," Koschei whispered softly, sitting up and pulling her into his arms, "but you won't hurt this much forever, Oliviana."
"Don't you ever leave me, Koschei. Swear you won't," she implored, searching his eyes for something unknown, her voice taking on an unusual throaty tone.
Koschei's senses were overwhelmed and the momentum of the drumming in his head rioted at a faster pace. "I promise. You're mine," Koschei uttered, his voice thick with a primal desire to possess and protect her from everything and everyone. His gaze lingered on her pillowy lips.
"You're mine," he declared more urgently this time, capturing her lips with his own.