Prompter: Anonymous
Prompt: In Want of An Heir verse... The Doctor and Clara have an intimate private moment in the bath where they get to just relax for the moment. They can get frisky or full on sexy times it's completely up to you! :)
Originally posted: 30 August 2016
Notes: 1826 words; rough ages are Johan at 65, Clara at 46, Lena at 15, Astra/Tara at 13, Sterling at 9, Maglina 7, and Seren at 2; notes at the end are not mandatory but more background information for the curious; contains situational nudity and states of being soaking wet, as well as Johan and Clara being a bit over PG-13-levels of gross and being parents (though not at the same time)
Although having children was literally part of their job description, the Marquis and Marchioness of Kasterborous knew they wouldn't trade their little ones for anything. They behaved well enough, better than many children of their social standing if they were honest, yet keeping track of them was such a hassle that the parents' energy was often drained before midday. It so happened that on one day, very much like all the others, when they decided to finally take some time to themselves. They quietly conferred in the ceremonial tongue as they walked through the corridors, deciding to break the news to their eldest in the same way.
"Papa and I are going down to the baths," the Marchioness told the young teen. "Seren may come into your room if he needs attention."
"Why the baths?" Lena wondered, her nose scrunching in confusion. She kept to the ceremonial tongue, knowing that her mother was using it for one reason or another. "You're not dirty or oily, and the scent you've been wearing is a good one."
"When you get old and your bones begin to ache, you'll understand," she replied. At that, she shooed Lena back into her room and entered the nursery to check in on the Marquis and his attempts at putting down the younger three for the night. While Sterling was down and with the blankets covering his head, Maglina and Seren were still insisting on staying up. She watched as her husband tried to pull their youngest son off their youngest daughter's shoulders, the latter adamant that rides still needed to be given.
"Papa! We're not done!" the little girl whined.
"No done! No done!" her brother added. The Marchioness decided to help out by walking over and gingerly lifting Seren into her arms, the boy immediately cooperating thanks to the fact it meant hugging Mama. "Play?"
"No play—the sky is red and it is time for sleeping," she crooned, stroking his fluffy curls. Seren scowled and squished his face against her chest in protest. "Now, now, none of that; all good little boys and girls should be in bed right now."
"…but Mama…" Maglina chimed in.
"No buts," the Marquis said sternly. "Into bed with both of you; if you need us and were are not in our chambers, see Lena. Mama and I have important business to attend to yet before bed."
"Playtime is important!"
"During the daytime it is, not at night."
"It's not fair…!"
"Lady Maglina Diantha of Gallifrey and the Northern Lands, bed. Now."
Maglina knew her father was serious, for her full name with title was the warning that a swift smack on the bottom was coming if she did not comply; he was well-past the time-out stage if Gallifrey herself was mentioned and a few extra moments of red-lit play was not worth a smacked bottom. She grouchily crawled into her bed while Seren was tucked into his, attempting to ignore the Marquis as he brought her stuffed bunny over to her side.
"You forgot Malcolm," he said, offering her the toy. She quickly took it from his hands and held it close, grunting in disapproval. Her father tucked her in and left a kiss upon her brow, saying, "Plenty of sleep and you will be big and strong and smart, just like your sisters. Goodnight, starlet."
With the three children they needed to worry about in bed, the parents slipped into their own bedchamber and gathered the things they would need, placing them in a basket, which the Marquis slipped on his arm. His other was soon claimed by the Marchioness as they went out into the corridors.
"I really wish you'd stop with that," she said as they navigated the moon-lit castle. "She's getting too old for such things."
"Scoldings?"
"Smackings."
"Oh, I agree, but it's the fear of the smacking that is the punishment at her age—Maglina is mature enough to understand without force, thank the stars," he sighed. "Punishing our children has never been something I enjoy, let alone ever want to do. Seren's almost to that point as well… I always saw him as enjoying being the baby, yet he seems immensely mature for his age."
"That's what happens when there's such a large gap between the eldest and youngest, even the youngest and next-youngest," she replied. The Marchioness leaned her head on her husband's upper arm and frowned. "Such a serious child—he doesn't seem to ever want to be a child unless it involves keeping a monopoly on our attention."
"Both our sons remind me of myself when I was a lad," the Marquis noted. "I naturally see more of you in our daughters, but our sons seem to take after me."
"No, only Sterling takes after his papa," she chuckled. "I'll trade you Lena for Seren; she's the duty-minded one whom happens to wear skirts instead of trousers, while he is merely determined and I claim all the determination our children display."
"Yes, ma'am," he smirked. He then let go of her arm and held open the door to the baths for his wife, bowing his head as she passed.
A long-standing tradition of Ancient Gallifrey, the bathing rooms were a feature of the castle that had been built in during the time of the First Doctor's tenure, when Castle Gallifrey was constructed from the ground up. The river that ran underneath the stone foundations was utilized as not only a fresh water source, but energy to keep things in production even well into the night. Most of it was the millstones that ground grains in the ancillary kitchens, yet some was utilized in keeping the boilers well-maintained no matter the time. Huge metal boilers had the ability to not only be constantly fed fuel, but made to shake the ashes out, allowing for washing and bathing at all times, day or night. Such power was only utilized when large amounts of guests were being prepared for and taken care of, however, and now the boilers were working at not even half-capacity. It still did not take away from the ornate tilework of the walls and floor, as well as the private alcoves easily utilized by the family and staff alike.
Ducking into one of the alcoves, one marked as specially-reserved, the Marquis uttered a word in the ceremonial tongue over the rope that turned it into a barrier before joining the Marchioness by the large, deep tub in the inner sanctum. Mosaic swirls and circles in the Ancient Gallifreyan manner surrounded them, surrounding them with designs and wards more powerful than many either of them could conjure themselves. The Marquis ran the water hot, adding some cool water straight from the river as it filled the tub. Different bottles of soaps, scents, and lotions were lined up on a series of shelves built into the tile; he plucked a particular soap off its shelf and poured it into the running water, allowing the steam to carry its scent throughout the room.
No sooner did he set the bottle down did the Marchioness gently turn him around and begin to work on undressing him. Her fingers were gentle as she worked at buttons and clasps, pretending not to notice as his own fingers were starting to ease of her garments as well. The exposure of skin brought tender kisses and delicate touches until it was all they saw. The Marquis gave the Marchioness a hand as she stepped into the tub, following her soon after. Immersing themselves in the hot water felt better than it should have, nearly melting away their aches and weariness almost immediately.
"Mmm… come here," the Marchioness requested, holding her arms open. The Marquis dunked his head underwater and resurfaced, shaking the excess water from his head before slicking it down and complying with his wife's wishes. He stretched out inside the length of the tub and laid down in her grasp, chin whiskers nearly in the water while resting his back against her front, using her partially-submerged breasts as a pillow.
"Now this is truly relaxing," he murmured. "The children are able to care for one another, no one is allowed admittance on official government matters, no guests to entertain…"
"It's the perfect sort of night for just the two of us," she finished. She stroked his soaked curls, playing with the tips by twirling them around her fingers. "It's a shame we are almost always here with the younger ones, or else we could do this more often."
"Speaking of how mature they're becoming, Maglina seems to be doing alright bathing on her own, which means we only have Seren, and Lena or Astra can take care of him," he mused. "In fact, Sterling could help his brother if the need presents itself—I can see the lad caring for his sisters' children when they come around."
"Thinking about grandchildren already; naughty," she laughed. The Marchioness grabbed onto her husband's sides and squeezed, tickling him. He squirmed and vanished underneath the water, popping back up not too far away. The Marquis wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a fiendish grin before diving under once again. His wife didn't know what was on his mind until she felt his hands hold her legs in place and suddenly he was kissing her, causing her to squirm and hit the back of his head. He stopped and came back up, slightly confused.
"Is everything alright?"
"You need a smacking, just like our Seren," she only half-teased. "We just drew this bath and now you want to do this?"
"Hasn't stopped us before," he reminded her.
"Then make it worth draining the bath," she dared.
He accepted her challenge and brought his head down to kiss a breast, allowing his fingers to take over where he had been moments before. The Marquis used changing breasts as his chance to suck in another breath, not letting up until his wife melted in his arms, her breathing ragged from his efforts. She nearly immediately pulled him closer when he made to give her space, sinking down upon him when she realized he was as aroused as he had ever been.
After the bath had been drained, rinsed, refilled, and then used for its proper purpose, the Doctors dried one another off and pulled on their night things. Putting their day clothes in the basket, they brought them back up to their room for the maids to take care of in the morning. Their bed felt good as the Marquis laid on his back, the Marchioness deciding to curl into his side and use his chest as a pillow before falling asleep near immediately. In the red of night he laid there, silently stroking her barely-damp hair, allowing the relaxing evening to help him drift off towards sleep. Things were good, and they could still steal a few moments now and then, which admittedly was even better.
A/N: I don't think I've explained this yet, but the Doctors' family doesn't exactly have full names like we know them. Tara is the only one with a proper surname, Smith, being that she needs one for registration at school; Clara almost has one in Oswald, since her father is David Oswald, but in her case it is a line name, as in "of House Oswald". Her name, post-marriage, is "Lady Marchioness Clara Oswald of Blackpoole, Kasterborous, and Gallifrey"; in only the most formal documents do they go beyond the Blackpoole part. Johan is "Lord Marquis Johan Lonan of Kasterborous and Gallifrey" and the rest of the kids, well, they have their first and middle names, but instead of Smith or Oswald, they have "of Gallifrey and the Northern Lands" (or "of Gallifrey" in short form). When Johan and Clara retire from being Marquis and Marchioness, Lena will become "Lady Marchioness Lena Anthea of Kasterborous and Gallifrey", adding the marquisate and dropping the "northern lands" bit because said northern lands are part of Kasterborous proper. By law, her siblings get to continue using "of Gallifrey and the Northern Lands" as part of their name until she has children, after which they drop the northern lands bit and become "of Gallifrey" unless they adopt a surname like Tara did. This indicates that they are no longer in a direct line to the governance chair and are officially the start of cadet branches. All this also does not include things such as using Gallifrey as a surname, or keeping the noble "of Gallifrey" should they marry someone with a proper surname and take it, the spouse being noble or not (Lena's siblings are all Lords and Ladies by being born into hereditary nobility, which entitles them to the style until their death; the only way for their children to be lords/ladies as well is by having them with a titled spouse, or gaining a hereditary serdarship).
Also, Johan only has a really good lung capacity, not the Doctor's respiratory bypass system.
