This took a bit longer than expected to finish up, but I like the way it turned out. Enjoy!


Barbara and Vicki didn't talk for some time after they were thrown into the cell. They could hear the men's quiet voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Barbara had taken a seat on the hard ground. She rested in one of the cell's corners and shivered at the touch of the cold wall. She pulled her knees to her chest for warmth. Ian and she had been in a very similar situation not too long ago. At least the threat of the guillotine didn't hang over her head this time.

Eventually Vicki took a seat next to Barbara. The young girl wasn't deterred by being imprisoned. In fact, she seemed almost excited by the prospect until she realized that they weren't going anywhere soon. It was not fear, but boredom that kept Vicki still. "Does this happen very often?" she asked.

Chuckling, Barbara replied, "It happens more than I'd care to think about."

"Where have you been imprisoned before?"

"Oh," Barbara thought, "We were in jail during the French Revolution. Ian was tried for murder once and was almost wrongly executed for it. We've been held by Daleks –"

"Daleks? What are those?"

"Be glad you've never seen them. They're terrible robots bent on ruling the universe. I can't say I really understand them, but I do know they're the most evil things we've encountered."

"Hang on," Vicki said. She screwed up her face in concentration. "I think we heard about them in school! Did they invade the Earth a couple thousand years ago?"

"Yes, I guess it would have been ancient history for your time," Barbara said. This girl had an unnatural knack for making her feel old.

Neither of the two continued the conversation. Barbara wondered how they would manage to get out of this one. She thought about how the guards didn't tell them when the king would see them. A fear that they'd be forgotten and left to stay in the dungeon crossed her mind, but she shook it away. No, the king had to be curious about the TARDIS. He'd want to see them. She was sure.

Vicki tried to fight against sleep however she hadn't gotten any since leaving Dido. It was a losing battle and she slumped against the wall. Her head fell on Barbara's shoulder, startling the teacher. Barbara smiled, thinking of Susan.


Ian sat with his back against the wall and his legs sprawled out in front of him. He ran his hand down his face and sighed loudly.

The Doctor clicked his tongue and said, "I'd greatly appreciate not having to think with your constant sounds of disapproval, Chesterton."

Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Ian replied, "What on Earth are you talking about? I'm just sitting here!"

"Yes. And you're making it evident that you don't approve of our situation."

"Of course I don't, we're in jail again!"

"I wouldn't call this jail. It's the castle dungeon."

"What difference does it make?" Ian asked. His annoyance with his predicament and the Doctor threatened to turn into anger.

"The difference is, dear boy, we aren't slated for execution."

Ian mumbled, "Yet." Fortunately the Doctor didn't hear him.

"Once this king has the time to listen to us, I'm sure we'll be freed immediately."

"When will that be, Doctor? How do we now he'll remember we're here?"

"I think the king will find it difficult to forget about a materializing blue box, don't you?"

"I hope so."

The Doctor paced around the small cell. Ian watched him, trying to imagine what was going through the man's mind. For several minutes, the only noise Ian could hear was the Doctor's footsteps on the stone floor.

"Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Hm?"

"What are you planning to tell the king?"

"Ah, that's the question." The Doctor continued pacing.


"Wake up, you two."

Vicki jumped awake with a small cry. A guard held two bowls through the cell door's bars. She recognized him as the guard that had been waiting in the dungeon's entrance when they had first arrived. "Well?" he asked. "Are you going to take your food or not?"

As she rubbed sleep from her eyes, Vicki slowly stood up. "All right already, I'll take the food." She took the bowls from the guard. The guard then bent down, picked up two tankards of water, and gave them to Vicki. She placed the bowls on the ground and took the tankards as well. She turned away from the guard without a word. He left to feed Ian and the Doctor.

Barbara had woken up during the exchange. She blinked several times at Vicki as the girl approached. "What's that?" she mumbled.

"The guard says it's our food. It looks edible, at least," Vicki said, offering a tankard and then a bowl to Barbara.

With a laugh, Barbara took them. "It's just bread and water."

"Hey, it could be worse."

"I suppose you have a point."

They ate without speaking. The bread wasn't much, but it did serve to appease their rumbling stomachs, for a while at least. Vicki sipped from her tankard while Barbara clutched hers in both hands. They listened to the guard as he moved back and forth, giving the other prisoners their rations.

Vicki, lost in thought, stared at the wall in front of her. She thought of how she, Ian, and Barbara had done the impossible with the Doctor. This was a different time. This was a different place. Even if she was locked up in a dank cell, she wasn't on Dido anymore. Maybe Dido didn't even exist yet. Had her mother and father been born yet? The Doctor might've been able to provide some answers, but certainly not in his current state.

"How did you end up with the Doctor, Barbara?" Vicki asked.

Barbara took a moment to finish her water. "Ian and I taught his granddaughter at –"

"The Doctor has a granddaughter?"

"Yes. Her name is Susan. We left her on Earth before we met you."

"You left her?"

"She fell in love with a man there," Barbara shrugged. "The Doctor wasn't going to make her come along when she didn't want to anymore."

"What is she like?" Vicki asked. She folded her legs underneath her and rested her elbows on them.

"So many questions," Barbara chuckled. "Well, Susan is unique, being a time traveler like the Doctor. She's very curious. She wanted to stay on Earth to see what living there was like. I suppose she gets that from her grandfather. She has a deep appreciation for everything. She'd often want to stop to admire the sights. And she is very brave. Yes, she got scared, we all did, but she never let that stop her."

Vicki listened, enthralled by this woman that she had never met. "I'd have liked to meet her."

"She would have been thrilled to know you," Barbara said.

"I bet the Doctor misses her."

"Oh, yes, more than he lets on, I think. Ian and I miss her, too. After all, she's the reason we got ourselves into this."

"What do you mean?"

"Ian and I taught Susan at our school. She was different from the other students. It's not that she was a bad student, no, she was incredibly intelligent. She just seemed to know things that she shouldn't have. Ian and I were curious, so we followed her home one night. Her home just happened to be the TARDIS. The Doctor wasn't happy to see us and decided that he couldn't let his secret out. He took us with him."

"Without giving you a choice? That's terrible!"

"We thought so, too, at first," Barbara said, remembering very well the first time she met the Doctor. "But now, I'd go so far to say that the Doctor cares about Ian and me as much as we care for him. He's done a lot to keep us safe."


The Doctor sat on the floor of his cell. His mate had dozed off some point after finishing his bread. The silence helped him to concentrate on how he would get out of this one. What kind of lie could explain the sudden appearance of a time machine? Could any lie have that capability? The king might listen to the truth. Whether or not he would believe it was a different matter.

A guard came rattling at the bars sooner than the Doctor expected. "The king has asked to see you now."

"Well, it's about time," the Doctor said. He shook Ian's shoulder and said, "Wake up, Chesterton. The king is ready for us."

"No."

The objection startled the Doctor. He stared at the guard, puzzled.

"The king only said that he will see you specifically, old man." The guard pulled the door open for the Doctor to exit.

"Wait just a minute now!" Ian clambered to his feet and made to approach the guard.

The Doctor extended an arm to keep Ian away. "We don't want to upset the king, do we, dear boy? No, you'll stay here like the guard says. I shan't be long." Once the Doctor stepped out of the cell, the guard swung the door closed again with a clang.

Vicki and Barbara had watched the exchange. The young girl called to the Doctor. He noted her nervous tone and said, "It's all right. I'll be back." He felt three pairs of eyes watching him as the guard led him out of the dungeon.

The guard didn't say anything as they walked; the Doctor didn't expect him to. They climbed up the long flight of steps and emerged behind the towering statue. The Doctor was led up one of the curving staircases and into the throne room.

A lengthy black carpet stretched from the entrance to the steps leading up to the throne. Columns lined both sides of the room. A second level opened above. The Doctor could see bored faces staring down at him. He assumed them to belong to the king's council.

The king himself sat on the throne, a shining silver crown atop his head. Coarse black hair spilled over his shoulders and stopped at his stomach. His hair made him look wild and menacing, traits that the Doctor figured he enjoyed possessing.

When the guard reached the bottom of the steps to the raised platform, he dropped to one knee. The Doctor followed suit although he wasn't entirely happy to do so. He figured his odds were better if he didn't upset the king.

"Rise," the king spoke, his voice booming throughout the spacious room. He gestured to the guard and said, "Hagamar here told me that he captured you and three others last night. I've had guards and my magician examine this strange box of yours, yet I can explain it about as well as Hagamar can. I'd like to hear what you have to say."

"You've been tampering with my ship?" the Doctor's chest swelled in rage. "I'll have you know –"

"You forget who you're talking to, old man. I can have you locked away until my people can figure out the secrets of this box."

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh. "That 'box,' as you're so fond of calling it, is a TARDIS. It travels through time and space."

"That's a lie. Humans have yet to master time travel."

"I tell the truth about my machine. However, I am not sure where we are in the universe's timeline to comment on humans' knowledge of time travel."

"You speak as if you are not human," the king noted, leaning forward on his throne.

"That's because I'm not. And you speak as if you have encountered humans."

"Yes," the king grimaced. "We have, unfortunately."

"'Unfortunately?'"

"Humans found this planet in their travels. They named us 'orcs,' a people they believed to be mythical, just as we thought they were a product of thousands of years of stories. These humans are very much like the humans of those old tales. Mere months after they discovered our planet, they killed a king and razed a city. Our terms have been rather strained since then."

The Doctor nodded his understanding. "I am sorry to hear that you have fallen victim to humans' violent nature."

"Explain to me, old man, how you are not a human when you look exactly like one."

"Ah, that's simple. I have the capability to traverse space and time, as I have said. My own race has an understanding of time that humans cannot comprehend. I have visited places that have ceased to exist and others that have not been formed yet."

"And this box? You call it your ship?" the king asked.

"It is my means of travel. The three with me, who are indeed human, are simply accompanying me."

"They will not harm my people? You must understand my cause for concern."

"No!" the Doctor laughed. "They wouldn't dream of it. They'll be appalled to learn of how you've been treated."

"I see. What will you do if I let you free?"

"I often enjoy learning all that I can about the places I visit. If you are accommodating, I say that I'd like to do the same here. Afterwards, my companions and I will be on our way."

The king thought on the request. After several seconds, he said, "I should know the name of a man who will be staying at my castle."

"I am simply the Doctor."

"As you wish. You and your companions will be given a room in the guest wing."

"Thank you, King . . ."

"King Olfog," the king responded as he stood. "Hagamar will retrieve your friends and show you to your room." He began walking towards a door behind the throne.

"Yes, but what of my ship? I'd rather it not stay in its present location. With enough help, we can move it somewhere secure."

"That's already been done, Doctor. Your ship has been moved to the castle and is under my custody until further notice."

"'Your custody?'"

"I will learn its magic yet."

The Doctor started after the king. "How dare you –" he was cut off when Hagamar stepped in front of him, sword at the ready.

"I'm offering you a much cozier room than the dungeon. I'd stop there before I change my mind," King Olfog said.


"Doctor!" Vicki squealed. She ran past the guard and embraced the Doctor, unaware of his worried expression.

Ian gave the older man a pat on the back. "How did things go? We're out of that dungeon, so it must've been alright."

As she approached, Barbara noticed the Doctor's strained expression and his set jaw. "What's wrong, Doctor?"

"Not here. I'll explain once we get to our room," the Doctor said.

"Let's go, then," Hagamar said. He led them through an archway opposite the great hall. They climbed a flight of steps that led to a long hallway with doors lining either side. Some were open and revealed rooms such as studies and closets. The door Hagamar stopped in front of was closed. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it.

The door opened to a common area with armchairs surrounding a fireplace. Several bookshelves lined the walls. A huge window across from the door lit the otherwise dim room. A wooden desk cluttered with papers and quills sat under the window. Hagamar left the four of them on their own after informing them that lunch was over. Dinner would be at five.

The Doctor immediately collapsed into one of the armchairs. "Chesterton, light us a fire, would you? There's a chill in here."

Unable to forget the Doctor's worry, Barbara stood in front of him and asked, "What happened with the king, Doctor? Why are we staying here?"

Conscious that Vicki was leaning on the back of the armchair and that Ian was listening while working at the fire, the Doctor said, "I explained to King Olfog the circumstances of our arrival. He was very curious and accepting of my request to learn more of this planet."

"Oh, that's terrific!" Vicki said, bouncing on her feet.

"That's good news. How long will we be staying?" Barbara asked.

The Doctor looked down and fumbled with his hands. "The king has taken the TARDIS into his custody indefinitely."

"What?" Vicki was suddenly still.

"He's keeping it?" Ian said from the fireplace.

"He has claimed it until he can figure out how it works," the Doctor explained.

Barbara asked, "Are we to stay here until then?"

"That's what I gathered. However, the king said there was a way we could get the ship back."

Ian stepped away from the hearth, leaving behind a blazing fire. "And just how can we do that?"

The Doctor rubbed his chin, thinking. He said, "The king holds a tourney twice every year. This one is a week away. We can get the TARDIS back as a prize for winning the tournament. He told me that, as his guests, we're required to compete to show we're worthy of his hospitality; all of his guests participate."

"Oh, I can fight, Doctor!" Ian grinned. "Even if I lose, I'm sure we can find the TARDIS ourselves."

"According to the king, I'm much too old for this. I managed to convince him that Vicki's too young for this and hasn't been trained, so she'll be fine."

"Wait," Barbara said, her face turning white. "Vicki shouldn't have to fight anyways. She's a girl."

The Doctor gazed at Barbara sympathetically. "King Olfog told me how all of his people learn to fight from an early age, men and women alike. You can already tell, can't you, my dear? Both you and Chesterton have to fight in the king's tourney."


Ahh, hope you all don't mind a lot of dialogue. Anyways, thanks for reading! I'll have the next chapter up as soon as it's ready.