Hello, hello! Second chapter of the day. To be honest, I'm kind of rushing chapters out because I want to post a few new chapters within the next month, not rewrites. That and I'm kind of antsy to get to Jack, which is only about nine or ten chapters away. Those who followed this story before the rewrite know why, and those who are new, you'll find out. Enjoy!
Rose was dressed in some denim short dungarees and a loose yellow top with white sneakers and with her hair out. Ella was in a dark blue long sleeved ankle length dress with black flats and her pink hair pulled back into a voluminous braid.
"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Rose asked.
"In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this," the Doctor said. He then put a CD into the TARDIS player. 'Hit me with your rhythm stick' began to play. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979."
"You're a punk," Rose laughed.
"It's good to be a lunatic," the Doctor said.
"That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in," Rose said.
"Would you like to see him?" The Doctor asked the girls.
"How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose asked.
"What else is a TARDIS for? I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?" The Doctor asked. The Doctor started beating the rhythm of the song on the console and Ella felt the TARDIS hum angrily in her mind.
"Don't hit Sexy, she doesn't like it!" Ella scolded, the Doctor pouting at her.
"Stop!" Rose yelled. They stopped suddenly, and got thrown to the floor. Rose and the Doctor laughed as Ella got to her feet.
"1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb," the Doctor said, walking out of the TARDIS with the two girls following. "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to…" They are surrounded by redcoats and the leader is on a black horse and the rifles are cocked. "My thumb. 1879. Same difference."
"You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl," the leader said, pointing at Rose.
"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asked with an accent.
"How can you be ignorant of that?" the leader asked.
"Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?" The Doctor said.
"Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot," Rose said, a little confused.
"No, don't do that," Ella whispered.
"Hoots mon," Rose said.
"No, really don't. Really," the Doctor said.
"Will you identify yourself, sir?" the leader asked.
"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory, and this is my sister..."
"Ella Harkness, sir," Ella cut in. The Doctor shot a quick look at Ella which she pointedly ignored.
"I have my credentials, if I may," the Doctor said, fishing out his psychic paper. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."
"Let them approach," an upper-class English accent came from a carriage nearby.
"I don't think that's wise, ma'am."
"Let them approach," the voice repeated.
"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference." A footman opened the door to reveal Queen Victoria.
"Rose, Ella, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," the Doctor introduced.
"Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked," Rose apologised.
"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials," Victoria said. The Doctor handed her the psychic paper. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."
"Does it? Yes, it does. Good. Good. Then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?" The Doctor asked.
"A tree on the line," Victoria said.
"An accident?" Ella asked.
"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."
"An assassination attempt?"
"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Rose asked, shocked.
"She's the Queen, Rose, she has had many attempts on her life. It's to be expected," Ella explained, putting on a Scottish accent.
"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," Victoria said.
"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow," the leader said.
"This Doctor, his sister, and his timorous beastie will come with us," Victoria said.
"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall."
"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" We all walked with the soldiers behind the carriage.
"It's funny though, because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy, Grinjabo and stuff. Not her," Rose said.
"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!" The Doctor said excitedly.
"I know!" Ella chirped.
"What a laugh!"
"She was just sitting there," Rose stated.
"Like a stamp," the Doctor agreed.
Sir Robert, Ella guessed, came out to meet Queen Victoria once her party arrived at his homestead. Ella noticed that all the servants were bald and one look at her father told her that he noticed too.
"Your Majesty."
"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?" Victoria asked.
"She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." Robert was obviously hinting for the Queen to leave.
"Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl," Victoria said.
"Sorry," Rose said.
"She's a feral child. I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It's was her or the Elephant Man, so…" The Doctor trailed off.
"I see," Victoria nodded understandingly. She then headed inside.
"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up," the leader said.
"Yes, sir." They took a small locked box from the carriage and carried it into the house.
"So what's in there, then?" Dad asked.
"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir. The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions."
"You heard the orders. Positions."
"Sir." The Doctor, Rose and Ella all followed Sir Robert and the Queen to the attic where a massive bronze telescope resided.
"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Victoria guessed.
"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself," Robert said.
"I wish I'd met him. I like him. That thing's beautiful. Can I?" The Doctor said.
"Help yourself."
"What did he model it on?"
"I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories," Robert said sadly.
"It's a bit rubbish. How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid kind of…" Ella hit the Doctor's arm hard enough to make a resounding 'whack!'. "Am I being rude again?"
"Yes," Ella snapped.
"But it's pretty. It's very pretty."
"And the imagination of it should be applauded," Victoria said.
"Mmm. Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" Rose asked.
"This device surveys the infinite work of God. What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales," Victoria explained.
"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," the Doctor grinned.
"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company. Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."
"That's Bavaria," the Doctor muttered to Rose.
"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."
"So, what's this wolf, then?" Ella asked.
"It's just a story," Robert said nervously.
"Then tell it," Ella said gently, sending a glare to the servants who stiffened under her gaze.
"It's said that…" Robert started before being interrupted by one of the servants.
"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."
"Of course. Yes, of course," Robert said, giving us a false smile.
"And then supper. And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness," Victoria said. "Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight."
"So there is, Ma'am," Robert muttered. The Doctor and Ella were escorted to their rooms where they waited until dinner. When it was five to seven, they left our rooms, meeting in the hall, and headed to the dining room. They were eating peacefully when Ella noticed Rose wasn't with them. One of the bald men entered the room with a glass of wine on a platter.
"Your companion begs an apology, Doctor. Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."
"Oh, that's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham," the Doctor said.
"The feral child could probably eat it raw," Victoria said. I shot a dark look at her. The leader of the soldiers, Reynolds is his name, laughed.
"Very wise, Ma'am. Very witty."
"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury."
"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am."
"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares," the Doctor said.
"Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction," Victoria admitted.
"You must miss him," Ella stated sadly, knowing slightly how she felt. Ella still missed Jack a lot. A heck of a lot.
"Very much. Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent, and we must wait. Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters," Victoria requested.
"The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and devoured," Robert started.
"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that," Reynolds stated.
"But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead," Robert said gravely.
"Are there descriptions of the creature?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal," Robert said.
"A werewolf?" Ella asked, interested.
"My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened. His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations," Robert explained. Ella noticed a servant gazing out the window and chanting something.
"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," Victoria said.
"That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?" Robert asked.
"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor said, noticing the servant chanting.
"What is the meaning of this?" Victoria asked.
"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!" Reynolds ordered, aiming his gun at Robert.
"What's happening?" Victoria asked.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife," Robert said desperately.
"Lynda! Where's Lynda? Where is she? Sir Robert, come on!" The Doctor yelled. Captain Reynolds kept his gun trained on the chanting servant, or rather, a monk.
"Tell me, sir. I demand to know your intention!" Reynolds ordered.
"Lupus deus est. Lupus deus est."
"What is it that you want?" Reynolds asked.
"The throne," the monk said. Robert lead the Doctor and Ella down a corridor and to the basement. They reached a door and the Doctor and Robert kicked their way in.
"Where the hell have you been?" Rose demanded. The Doctor spotted the occupant of a crate in the middle of the room. A werewolf.
"Oh, that's beautiful," the Doctor marvelled. Ella helped Robert get people out of the room.
"Come on, go. Get out!" Robert yelled. The werewolf broke out of the crate.
"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor yelled.
"Come on!" Ella yelled at her father. He ran out and locked the door with the sonic screwdriver. The werewolf's howl echoed through the house.
The Steward is handing out the contents of the gun cupboard to the men. "Arms, and you five. Ready, everyone?" The Steward turned to Lady Isobel. "Take the girls. Get them out through the kitchen." Isobel went to Robert.
"I can't leave you. What will you do?" Isobel asked.
"I must defend her Majesty. Now, don't think of me, just go." Isobel kissed Robert and started to leave the room.
"All of you, at my side. Come on!"
The Doctor was removing Rose's shackles with the sonic screwdriver. "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?"
"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it," Rose said. There was a crash of something bursting through a wooden door. The Doctor and Ella went out to investigate and saw the werewolf at the other end of the passageway. They ran back in and grabbed Rose.
"Fire! Fire!" The Steward yelled.
"All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me," the Doctor said.
"I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault," the Steward said, a little coldly.
"I'm telling you, come upstairs!"
"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall." The Steward stepped into the corridor then looked back. "It must have crawled away to die." He was hoisted up to the ceiling by the wolf, the sounds of snarling and wet meat ripping following. Ella felt sick watching it happen.
"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor said.
"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!" Robert yelled as we ran through the building.
"Sir Robert? What's happening?" Victoria asked, hurrying down the stairs. "I heard such terrible noises."
"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?" Robert asked.
"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," Victoria said.
"The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window," Dad said. They entered the drawing room.
"Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress," Robert said.
"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh," Victoria said.
"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" The Doctor asked, dropping his accent. Robert opened the window and the monks outside open fire. "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside."
"Do they know who I am?!" Victoria asked furiously.
"Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a, a biting," Rose told the Queen.
"Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," Victoria denied. A howl echoed around the grounds, making all of them jump. The group all ran out into the hallway where the wooden door was being beaten down.
"What do we do?" Rose asked. She looked scared but thrilled at the same time. Probably thrilled because she can run.
"We run," the Doctor said.
"Is that it?" Rose asked.
"You got any silver bullets?" The Doctor snapped.
"Not on me, no!" Rose snapped back.
"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigourous jog. Good for the health. Come on!" The Doctor said. They started sprinting up the stairs. Ella heard the werewolf smash its way through the door and start to follow them. "Come on! Come on!" The werewolf is nearly upon them when Captain Reynolds turned up and shot at the wolf, making it retreat.
"I'll take this position and hold it. You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty," Reynolds said worriedly.
"I have it. It's safe," Victoria assured him. All of them were catching their breath.
"Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown," Reynolds declared.
"Bullets can't stop it!" Ella told him.
"They'll buy you time. Now run!" Reynolds ordered. They ran into the library as Reynolds emptied his revolver at the werewolf before it pounced and ripped him apart. Ella stopped and even though the sight was sickening, she couldn't turn away.
"Ella!" The Doctor yelled. Ella felt a pair of arms drag her into the library which was then barricaded. Ella was sitting down, feeling a bit nauseasted.
"Barricade the door," Robert said.
"Wait a minute. Shush, shush, wait a minute," the Doctor said. There was one lonely howl. "It's stopped." The werewolf sniffed at the door, then left. "It's gone."
"Listen," Rose whispered. There are footsteps and growls from outside the walls as it walked around the room.
"Is this the only door?" The Doctor whispered.
"Yes. No!" Robert yelled. They quickly barricaded the other door. The noises continued outside the walls.
"I don't understand. What's stopping it?" Rose asked.
"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?" The Doctor asked himself.
"I'll tell you what, though," Ella muttered, still feeling sick.
"What?" Rose asked.
"Werewolf," Ella stated. The Doctor pulled his daughter into a hug.
"I know. You all right?" The Doctor asked, checking Ella over and making sure she was okay.
"No. I feel sick. That was the most horrifying thing I've seen in my life," Ella breathed out. Watching two people get ripped to shreds was traumatic and Ella seemed to be the only one traumatized.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?" Robert asked.
"I did," Ella said.
"Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy," the Doctor said.
"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?" Victoria demanded.
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor explained.
"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"
"Oh right, sorry, that's…"
"I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world," Victoria said adamantly. The Doctor noticed a carving of mistletoe on the door.
"Mistletoe. Sir Robert, did you father put that there?"
"I don't know. I suppose," Robert said, unsure.
"On the other door, too. No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder." The Doctor licked the door and everyone grimaced. "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."
"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked.
"Well, it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things," the Doctor explained.
"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon," Robert pointed out.
"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?"
"Being rude again," Ella sighed.
"Good. I meant that one. You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have," the Doctor said, putting on his brainy specs. He threw some books to Rose and Ella. "Arm yourself."
"Biology, zoology. There might be something on wolves in here," Rose mumbled as she flicked through a book.
"Hold on, what about this? A book on mistletoe," the Doctor said. Ella was standing to the side a bit, watching them all work.
"A book on magic."
"Some form of explosive."
"Hmm, that's the sort of thing," the Doctor said. He'd obviously found something useful.
"Wolf's bane, what about that?"
"Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth," the Doctor said, placing the book on a table so everyone could see.
"A spaceship?" Rose asked.
"A shooting star," Robert stated. He started reading from a passage. "In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit. That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery."
"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?" Rose asked.
"Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host," Ella theorised.
"But why does it want the throne?" Robert asked.
"That's what it wants. It said so. The, the Empire of the Wolf," Rose said.
"Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake," the Doctor said gravely.
"Sir Robert. If I am to die here," Victoria started.
"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Robert protested.
"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself," Victoria said.
"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor stated.
"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this," Victoria said, pulling a massive diamond out of her purse. Ella then realized it was the Koh-I-Noor.
"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked incredulously.
"Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world," the Doctor said, walking over to the two.
"Given to me as the spoils of war. Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die," Victoria said.
"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough. Can I?" The Doctor asked, gesturing to the legendary diamond. Victoria handed it over and he examined the diamond.
"That is so beautiful," Ella marvelled.
"How much is that worth?" Rose asked.
"They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor said.
"Good thing Jackie's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing," Ella stated.
"And she'd win," the Doctor agreed.
"Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence," Robert asked.
"Why do you travel with it?" Ella asked.
"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting," Victoria explained.
"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose gushed.
"My late husband never thought so," Victoria stated.
"Now, there's a fact. Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting," the Doctor said.
"He always said the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished," Victoria said.
"Unfinished. Oh, yes," the Doctor said. Ella then also caught on to her Dad's train of thought. He went to throw the diamond back to Victoria but Ella stopped him and took the glittering stone from his hands and handed it safely to the Queen. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head. What if this house, it's a trap for you. Is that right, Ma'am?"
"Obviously," Victoria said.
"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?" Ella continued on for the Doctor.
"Explain yourself, Doctor," Victoria ordered calmly.
"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf," the Doctor explained. Plaster dust fell from the ceiling. They looked up to the domes skylight to see the wolf on top of it and the glass starting to break. "That wolf there." The glass in the skylight cracked. "Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor shut the mistletoe doors on the werewolf.
"Your Majesty!" Robert exclaimed.
"Get to the observatory!" The Doctor yelled. All of them were sprinting down the halls. The werewolf caught up with Ella as she tripped on a stray floorboard. Ella screamed before a pan of liquid is thrown over the werewolf, forging it to retreat.
"Good shot," the Doctor complimented Isobel as he helped Ella up.
"It was mistletoe," Isobel stated.
"Isobel!" Robert said. He and Isobel shared a kiss.
"Now, get back downstairs," Robert told her.
"Keep yourself safe," Isobel said. They gave each other another quick kiss.
"Now go," Robert said.
"Girls, come with me. Down the back stairs, back to the kitchens. Quickly!"
"Come on!" The Doctor said.
"The observatory's this way." Robert pointed down a hall and they took off running. They carried on up the staircase as the werewolf recovered.
"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?" The Doctor asked.
"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Robert said.
"If we could bind them shut with rope or something," the Doctor said, holding the doors open.
"I said I'd find you time, Sir. Now get inside," Robert ordered.
"Good man," Ella said, smiling at him softly.
"Your Majesty, the diamond," the Doctor said, holding his hand out.
"For what purpose?" Victoria asked.
"The purpose it was designed for," Ella replied. Victoria handed over the diamond to the Doctor. "Rose." They went to the control wheels and started raising the telescope up. "Lift it. Come on."
"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked.
"Yes it is," the Doctor stated. Ella heard Robert get ripped to shreds outside and she scrambled over to the side of the room.
"Your Majesty, I know that this must be terrifying for you. But I only wish to tell you that this actually happens all over this planet. If you look deeply enough into history, you will find that things like this happen all the time. The Doctor and I crop up all over history and you can find us if you look hard enough," Ella explained gently to her.
"Thank you, my dear girl," Victoria said, patting Ella's shoulder and smiling lightly at her.
"You said this thing doesn't work," Rose said.
"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up," the Doctor said.
"It won't work. There's no electricity. Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight," Rose said.
"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on, Rose!" Ella exclaimed.
"Come on!" The Doctor yelled. The moon shone down into the telescope lens and bounced between the prisms, magnifying as it went. The werewolf broke in and went for Queen Victoria. The Doctor slid the diamond over to where the light hit the floor and it refracted upwards, catching the werewolf in its beam and lifting it up off the floor. The wolf turned back into a young man, hanging as if crucified in mid air.
"Make it brighter. Let me go," the boy said. The Doctor adjusted the magnification on the eyepiece. The man turned back into a wolf shape, howled and then vanished. Victoria looked at a small scratch on her wrist.
"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" The Doctor asked.
"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all," Victoria said dreamily.
"If that thing bit you?" The Doctor continued.
"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing," Victoria said.
"Let me see," the Doctor requested.
"It is nothing," Victoria snapped.
Once all the guards were awake and everyone was recovering, it was morning. In the presence of the whole household, the Doctor, Rose and Ella kneel before Queen Victoria, who is armed with a sword. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the Dame Ella of Cardiff. You may stand."
"Many thanks, Ma'am," the Doctor said.
"Thanks," Rose said.
"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave," the Doctor said.
"Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused," Victoria said. "Not remotely amused. I would banish you if it weren't for Dame Ella."
"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked.
"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, Dame Ella. I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. Ella actually showed me that things like this have happened in the past and I didn't have to look very far into my family history to find out these things. I request you leave this instant before I change my mind," Victoria said.
Ella shot a grateful smile to her, which she returned and they left the house. They hitched a ride on a cart belonging to a nice man named Dougal.
"Whoa!" The Doctor yelled. The trio got off the back of the cart.
"Cheers, Dougal!" Ella called, waving.
"Walk on."
"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere," the Doctor explained.
"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked incredulously.
"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism," Ella suggested.
"For werewolf?" Rose asked.
"Could be," the Doctor shrugged.
"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose asked.
"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip," the Doctor mentioned.
"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Rose asked.
"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?" Ella guessed.
"Nah, that's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne," Rose said.
"We'll say no more," the Doctor said, grinning.
"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!" Rose explained. The three entered the TARDIS before realisation spread across Rose's face. "They love blood sports. Oh my God, they're werewolves!" The TARDIS dematerialized and Rose headed to bed. The Doctor had gone to the library and Ella was teaching herself how to drive the TARDIS with the Old Girl helping her. The TARDIS phone then rung, making Ella skip over to it.
"Hello?" Ella answered.
"Hello," Mickey's voice sounded on the other end.
"Mickey!" Ella exclaimed happily.
"Hey Ella, how's it going?" Mickey asked.
"Pretty good. What about on your end?"
"It's been pretty good. Bit boring a lonely. Anyway, I have a reason for calling you."
"What is it?" Ella asked, her tone of voice showing how intrigued she was.
"It's a school called…"