Chapter 4- Dreams of a Princess

Author's Note: Thank you all for your comments for the last chapter, and thank you so much for being so patient for this update. I know it's been a month, but I literally had so much work to do. I couldn't write at the times that I usually do and had to wait for the weekends to get any chance!

But I hope you'll see that it was worth the wait, as the plot thickens from this chapter and something sinister is waking.

Here's Chapter 4!

"Your Grace, you are back already?" a yellow robed, brown curly haired and middle aged man greeted. There was a red collar entwined along his neck.

"Indeed, Catesby," Richard replied, dismounting under the archway; his noblemen and the Doctor and Clara followed suite, with the Doctor holding a hand to assist Clara. "And we have guests!"

"Ah, and who might they be?" Catesby asked warmly, reaching to shake the Doctor's hand. "William Catesby, Lord Chancellor!"

"Doctor, Earl of Gallifrey; and Lady Clara, Dame of Maitland," Richard introduced.

Catesby raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to think better of it. "Right, well this way!" he urged, before dropping into a hushed conversation with the King.

The Doctor and Clara were led into a grand hall that emitted rays of light through its stain glassed windows, where two wooden thrones sat on the end, both looking chipped and with bits eaten away by bugs.

"Eve, please show Lady Clara to a guest room, and get her something more appropriate," Richard ordered a blonde woman, who looked about the same age as Clara.

The Doctor and Clara gave each other and Richard a nervous and quizzical glance.

"Don't worry, I will not keep you apart for long," Richard reassured. "It is prudent that she gets some rest and food before we set off again."

"What? You mean that Westminster Palace isn't the destination, it's just the service station?" the Doctor blurted out, disappointed. "Although to be fair, there are some service stations that are less drab than the destinations they lead to, like the one between-"

"This is a palace, not a station!" Brackenbury corrected sternly.

"Yes, Doctor, we are headed to the Rivers Estate, East of where we are now," Richard informed. "There is someone there that I want you to meet."

"Who?" Clara asked.

"All in good time, my Lady. Eve!"

Eve curtsied and took Clara by the hand down one of the doors on the right of the throne room.

"Why us?" the Doctor asked, after the four of them were seated on a table and being served some chicken soup.

Richard looked fascinated, Stanley almost choked on his food with laughter, Brackenbury glared and Catesby looked deferentially towards Richard.

"Go on, I like a good mystery, which is why I'm wondering why you chose us for whatever goal you have? The Rivers Estate... yes that's where your sister-in-law lives, but it's not just her who lives there, is it? Has it got anything to do with-?"

"I do not know why, Doctor," Richard said quickly. "I only know it has to be you two."

The Doctor studied Richard's furrowed face, and realised how the frown lines on his forehead mirrored his own like a waves of a tide. He smiled.

"I'll do what I can, your Grace," he assured.

"May I help you, my Lady?" Eve called from behind the wooden screen.

"No, thank you, I'm nearly done," Clara called back. "And it's 'Clara', by the way."

"I'm so sorry, my- Clara," Eve squeaked.

"It's fine," Clara sighed. She stepped out from behind the screen. Her navy blue dress draped over her like a long full sleaved tunic dress. Her lilac tunic and black trousers lay discarded on a table near a bed.

"You look fabulous!" Eve complimented.

"Thanks," Clara replied, blushing slightly. Despite the conservative length of the dress, it was light and beautiful enough, with intricate shapes weaved on- it was said that this came from a bazaar in Rabat.

"Would you like to eat here?" Eve asked. "The King will allow it, so long as we attend to him as soon as afterwards."

Clara hesitated; she wanted to find the Doctor and know where he was and whether he was safe, despite her head telling her adamantly that he was. But Eve's eyes gave a longing hope that she had once felt.

"It's OK, I shouldn't have asked," Eve retracted.

"No, it's OK, I would like that!" Clara said. Soon they were both sat at a nearby table scoffing what turned out to be a rice pudding. Eve told Clara about how her family were mostly killed during the last War of the Roses, when her father was killed at Barnett. It was mainly down to some feud between the then King, Edward IV, and his cousin Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. Eve always feared the prospect of her brothers being killed too soon, all because the Yorkist and Lancastrian threat engaged in a messy duel again.

"I'm sorry," Clara said, at loss of words, as Eve looked as if she was about to cry. The former cleared her throat and breathed, holding out her hands for Eve. "Look, I know that the men appear all macho and brave, but I reckon that they need us ladies to keep up their appearances, or else their world will fall apart." A cheeky smile crept on her face, which Eve returned.

Suddenly, Clara heard a faint giggle or a whisper nearby. Her first reaction was to tell Archie and Angie off, but a pair of feet protruded from a hanging tapestry of a river, which implied that she was not far off.

Eve had risen with her and they both crept towards the feet like lionesses. They pulled the tapestry aside and two children screamed.

"Margaret! Edward! What are you doing here?" Eve demanded, transforming into a stern matron. She grabbed hold of both of their ears and hissed in a dangerous tone: "Did you watch her?"

"Eve, that's enough, you can let go now!" Clara said calmly, but very firmly.

Eve sheepishly complied.

"Now," Clara said, leaning and placing a hand on the two brunette children, both with their eyes downcast. The girl appeared to be about eleven or twelve, and the boy was a bit younger. "What are your names?"

"Margaret," said the girl. "But everyone calls me Megan, and this is Ed, my brother."

"Well then, Megan and Ed, how long have you been here, truthfully," Clara pressed.

"Only a minute or two, I swear to God, my Lady!" Megan said. "It won't happen again, promise!"

"Make sure it doesn't, please," Clara nodded. "Now, who'd like some rice pudding?"

The faces of the children lit up and they were each offered a bowl each.

Eve, who had been uneasy about this at first, lightened up and engaged as Megan and Ed told Clara about who they were. Ed was very excitable, he told her about cudgelling- his favourite past time- which involved knocking your opponent off of a heap of hay with a sort of club or quarterstaff. Although, Megan preferred the more cultured game of bowling.

They told her about their family, it had been their aunts and uncles who had looked after them- but they had never known their parents. Their Aunty Anne and Uncle Richard had raised them, taken them in and taught them, but lately they had seen less and less of them over the past few months or even year.

Before Clara could offer a word of comfort, a tall and skinny faced man knocked on the door and entered. "Lady Clara?"

"Yes?"

"I am Richard Ratcliffe, Knight of the Garter," the brown cloaked man said bowing. "The King awaits you in the throne room."

"Very well," Clara said, rising. "I'll see you later, Megan and Ed, nice to meet you!"

"Bye, my Lady!" they sang and waved, as Eve and Ratcliffe escorted her back into the throne room, where the Doctor, Richard, Catesby and Brackenbury were waiting for her.

"Lady Clara, I hope that lunch was to your satisfaction," Richard said, looking up.

"It was, your Grace," Clara responded.

"Excellent! You and the Doctor will ride with Catesby, Ratcliffe and myself to the Rivers Estate," Richard declared.

"What about Sir Robert and Lord Stanley?" Clara asked.

"Stanley had to excuse himself, in any case, he will be staying here with Sir Robert," Catesby informed.

"Do you still have your two roses with you?" Richard enquired.

Clara held her breath for a split second, reaching to where her rose would have been had she not removed it.

"I have it here," the Doctor said, pulling out the red and white rose from his jacket pocket.

"Good, now wear it where it can be seen, that's very important," Richard ordered.

"Any reason why?" Clara asked hesitantly.

"You'll see!" Richard evaded, yet again.

Within minutes, they were saddled upon the horses that they arrived with. It was only an hour or two that they rode for. The journey was very quiet. Ratcliffe and Catesby treated them with a sort of mild neglect, which was a welcome change from Stanley's perverse comments.

Eventually, a paved road led to a white stoned property if a decent size, which reminded Clara of a typical country house.

"Right before you, Clara, is the Rivers Estate, home to Elizabeth Woodville, sister-in-law of the King!" the Doctor informed. "She was married to the late Edward IV, after being married to Lord John Grey, who Edward's Yorkists killed in battle, which says a lot about the questionable flirting tactics during this-"

"Thank you, Doctor, I think we can leave out the detailed backstory!" Richard said impatiently.

Any time for a commentary was interrupted by the horses trotting to a halt before the cottage, where a blonde woman curtsied before them. She wore a cream coloured dress and was quiet tall and into her late thirties to early forties.

"Your Grace, how are you?" the woman said. Before he had a chance to reply, she continued. "What brings you here?"

"As usual, Lady Rivers," Richard responded, with an almost unnatural amity. "How is Bess?"

Lady Rivera's eyes widened with surprise. "Elizabeth?"

"I heard that she was currently staying with you," Richard pressed.

"Yes," said Lady Rivers. "Yes, certainly, this way..." Her voice trailed off as the riders had all dismounted and followed her inside the cottage and into a medium sized room that looked like a dining room, certainly it had a dining table in it.

"So, that was Elizabeth Woodville?" Clara whispered discreetly to the Doctor.

"Yes, she was Queen at one point," the Doctor informed.

As the guests settled down, another blonde girl entered the room. Despite her downcast eyes, her waves of hair emitted a touch of sorrowful beauty, which flickered like a candle when she saw the guests.

"Richard?" she asked.

"Elizabeth," Richard nodded formally. There was an uncomfortable pause. "I hear you've been having bad dreams."

"Yes," Elizabeth replied, before her eyes fell on Clara and the Doctor, and her brows furrowed. "Who are they?"

"This is Lady Clara, I'm Doctor, Earl of Gallifrey, also a trained physician as far as dreams are concerned. Tell me about them," the Doctor said.

Elizabeth took a deep and hesitant breath.

"They're here to help," Richard assured. "Have a look at the roses on them, does it help?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, as if trying to remember and visualise, but they snapped open quickly.

"What is it?" Richard urged. "Have you made a connection?"

Clara walked over to table that had a jug of water in, before pouring a glass for Elizabeth. "There we are, do you want to have some more privacy?" She glanced at the level of presence in the room.

Catesby and Ratcliffe rose and politely excused themselves, whereas Richard rose but remained standing.

"Bess, you need to let us help you," he whispered.

"I know, Uncle," Elizabeth said.

"OK, first thing's first, what are these dreams about?" the Doctor asked.

"There's a red rose and a white rose dancing around each other," Elizabeth explained. "For some reason, it makes me feel happy, and content.

"There's also a blue door in the background."

"But it doesn't last, does it?" the Doctor said grimly.

Elizabeth looked at him with surprise. "Yes, it just all fades and I can hear people screaming and crying out..."

"Can you say why they're screaming?" Clara enquired.

Elizabeth pondered but shook her head. "I'm so sorry, but I can't remember!"

"Don't worry, it's not your fault," Lady Rivers said, holding her hand.

"If you want, Elizabeth, I can try help you remember," the Doctor offered.

"How?"

"I told you, I'm a physician of dreams," he grinned and placed a his fingers on her temple after taking the lack of objection as an acceptance.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he was sucked through a vortex of space through fields and cities. Hushed and frantic whispers tormented his mind with their pain and suffering. He couldn't help them because he couldn't even make out what they were saying. Cities burned alight and were pillaged by soldiers of an unimaginable bloodthirst and greed.

The Doctor exhaled, focusing his energy on the root of all this. The view rapidly soared over the landscape and something told him that they were in Chester.

A set of blue-grey stones made the jaws of a cave that roared at them, beckoning them, daring them to come in.

Suddenly, the view changed and they were at the base of a ruined castle, the air was the dirtiest grey and tar like substances precipitated from the sky.

"You won't get away this time... Elizabeth!" a voice rasped. A man, covered from head to toe in a fiery silver plated armour trunched from behind a broken altar, a blood red rose was stitched on his body, a thick Viking sword lay in his hands, a visor was the only thing that stood in between the world and his flaming eyes.

The Doctor's blood froze as he saw this man. He could feel Elizabeth tremble in distress, but encouraged her to hang on a little longer.

"Doctor!" the knight recognised. "Earl of Gallifrey?" He broke into a fit of cruel laughter and the Doctor felt terror. He felt himself slip and drop to the floor with a thud.

Author's Note: Well, that's Chapter 4 for you! I hope you enjoyed that, any ideas who the armour clad man could be?

I'll explain the historical background bit by bit throughout the story, so those who need that don't need to worry.

Please read and review.