In a world of water, where only the strong can keep afloat, Jack cruises at a lower altitude than most. The polar icecaps have melted and the world is now mostly water with those left fighting for space. Land. Freedom. Thrones. Yvonne desires the finest crown of all. HRH Queen Elizabeth II is her only obstacle and the Queen's Hand Jack Harkness. Her faithful servant Ianto is the liaison in this war and her only trusted confidant. How will Jack and Ianto survive this one? Will they sink or swim?

1

Ianto bowed deeply, sighing internally as he waited for her to acknowledge him.

She was standing in front of the full length mirror with a face like thunder, looking at the reflection with a frown he knew all too well and he sighed softly again, knowing this was about to get ugly. The gown was ornate, black velvet with the train dragging. The white fur trim was expensive, not many white furred things left in this world ya know.

"These buttons" she said, turning to face the seamstress who made a small noise, "Are these brass?"

"Rose gold" she simpered with open fear, "More expensive and less…ordinary. No other will have Rose Gold Buttons, only common gold."

Yvonne took a deep breath as she regarded the simpering fool at her feet and her head turned fractionally in Ianto's direction. He knew she was waiting and he thought quickly and answered with the deadliest calm he could muster.

"I do not believe even Her Majesty would have Rose Gold" Ianto said slowly, "I heard she had a tiara with it in the bridging for the diamonds but that was before the fall. Rose Gold is quite scarce now."

Yvonne stared at him and he could feel her scrabbling about in the back of his mind, like a fucking insect. He kept the image of a tiara in his mind and brought up another of a young carefree woman that might have been Yvonne once upon a time, her face carefree and her hair loose about her face.

Yvonne smiled.

"OK" she swung from the mirror and walked towards her dressing room. The room seemed to deflate with relief as she left them. All except Ianto who remained ramrod stiff, his hands clasped together and one of the women noticed, straightening as well.

Yvonne stepped back into the room, her eyes roving around those caught unawares and settling on the young woman who still knelt next to Ianto with a calm expression.

"You" she demanded, "Come tend."

The woman looked at Ianto with delight, racing to help and Ianto sighed internally as he resisted the urge to warn her that she needed to be less perky. Only Yvonne got to be perky. Like the fucking Dark Queen or something. Off with her fucking head. Well. Really, Yvonne would prefer to see the Queen herself's head roll across the floor to her feet but Her Majesty had been clever thus far. She kept her distance.

Ianto walked out to the balcony and looked over Yvonne's piece of world.

Water.

It had happened slowly at first, this global phenomenon that led to this new world. The polar ice caps had melted, the world had changed. No the UK was no more. Well, the old world was long gone. Now we have this strange Mecca called the Canary Reefs where the small pockets of land left were fought over violently and although Yvonne publically declared herself loyal to the crown all who really knew her knew she WAS IN CHARGE!

Well.

Apart from Balmorals Aisle, which was the one spec of land Her Majesty had managed to maintain. And the reason?

Jack Harkness. Captain.

Ianto found his eyes sliding to the west where Jack's submarine sat, the Torchwood III or T3 it was affectionately called by Her Majesty. Jack was her favourite person, as much as he was Yvonne's most hated. Jack's loyalty was unquestionable. Her Majesty was safe from any enemy foreign or domestic. Well…you can't really call Yvonne domestic I guess. Jack was stuck on that thing, unable to step foot on any land bar Her Majesty's Balmorals Aisle. He was the fly in Yvonne's ointment and she was desperate to knock him down a peg or two…or drown him at the bottom of the world. It was said nobody knew where he was at any one time so Ianto did not let his gaze linger too long.

"Ianto" she entered the room again, the sound of soft sobbing cut off as she closed the door, "I have a job for you."

"Yes my Empress?" Ianto asked with what he hoped was a confident expression as he had the image of balloons drifting in his mind. She likes things that float.

We all float down here.

Stop it.

He smiled as he tried not to look too alarmed by the power she was wielding.

She laughed.

Then he realised what she had said and he tried not to look to eager.

He knew where she was about to send him, where she only chose him to represent her as she was so sure of his loyalty. Had he not worked so bloody hard for that image?

Yes.

He was going to see Jack.

Ianto's heart soared higher than any balloon ever could.