Welcome back lovely readers! Time for another chapter. I'm getting excited now as we come up to some adventures I love.
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Chapter 29
When she started to feel herself come to, she was swiftly angry with herself. That had been careless of her. She should have thought up a better plan of action instead of just walking around the halls so defenceless. But that didn't matter now. She knew she needed to focus on getting to Rose and Flora. They could be in grave danger and she needed to protect them. She forced herself to wake up, to push through her grogginess, though it was somewhat painful as her head throbbed. She could feel her body pressed into a cold, stone floor of some sort. When she shifted she felt the bite of chilled metal around her wrists. Obviously, they had locked her up somewhere to remain unseen. No matter. She had bobby pins stuck in her hair. She could easily unlock herself. Though if there were bald men guarding the location of her imprisonment, that would be a different story.
"Maddie? Maddie, wake up," hissed a voice in her ear. She opened her eyes, blinking away the hazy from her vision, to see Rose leaning over her. The girl appeared fine, though she also had heavy metal cuffs around her wrists. Madison glanced around quickly, assessing their situation.
It seemed that they had been forced into a small cellular. The kind which stored repair equipment and some wine barrels. There was straw scattered around the ground, with shelves lining the walls. There was one small window showing the courtyard and allowing the light of the Moon outside to stream within. She blinked in astonishment as she saw different groundsmen and servant girls were also with them in the cellular. One of the maids was Flora, obviously shaken by what had happened to them as she shivered from head to toe, her chains around her wrists rattling as she shook. One person who stood out amongst the group was a woman in an elegant dress who had on a beautiful necklace and earrings. This must be Sir Robert's wife, the Ladyship of the house. Madison forgot if Sir Robert said her name or not. She couldn't recall.
"Ssh. Be quiet," said Sir Robert's wife. "Don't make a sound. They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."
"'He'? Who's he?" Madison whispered as Rose helped her up from laying on the floor. Her head throbbed again when she sat up and she felt dizzy and nauseous, but she ignored the pain to focus on Sir Robert's wife.
"Him," said the wife, shivering and pointing a finger towards the end of the cellular.
Madison followed the woman's finger, stiffening as she finally noticed the large cage. It was sitting by where the outside cellular doors lay shut. There, within the cage, was a man in a black robe. He was sitting with his legs crossed and bent, the hood of his robe up and covering most of his face, and his head bent towards his lap as he breathed steadily. Instantly she felt a cold chill creep down her spine. Alarm bells went off in her head as her instincts screamed and pleaded for her to run. The ill intent she felt from this man was nefarious. Even in this quiet state of his, she could tell he was just lying in wait, ready to strike at a moment's notice. But that just begged the question of why he was in a cage. What was the point if he was supposed to be their guard? It was bewildering, but she ignored this thought. All she could tell now was that this was no mere plan of assassination or theft. Dealing with humans was one thing, but this man was clearly no human. This was something different, something more along the lines of what she, Rose, and the Doctor had come across almost on a daily basis. If only they had come up with a better plan. Then again, they had thought they were just against a few wicked humans. Not a hellish alternate lifeform.
"But he's in a cage. He's a prisoner. He's the same as us," Rose said quietly, frowning in confusion.
"He's nothing like us. That creature is not mortal," whispered the wife.
"I do believe she's right, Rose," Madison breathed, tensing as the man slowly lifted his head. When he opened his eyes, everyone in the room flinched. It couldn't be helped. His eyes were nothing more than blackness, devoid of any light or soul as they stared them all down with malice. Madison leaned over to whisper in Rose's ear. "Definitely not human."
"Yeah," Rose breathed shakily. She glanced nervously towards Madison. "Should . . . Should we try to talk to it?"
". . . Maybe. As long as he's in that cage . . ." Madison muttered, not trusting that cage or this man. She reached up into her hair, pulling out two bobby pins and starting to bend them in the way she needed. "Here. Let me get these off first."
"Can you even pick a lock?" Rose replied sceptically.
Madison smirked lightly. "Ha. Can I pick a lock she says. Watch me." It didn't take her but a few turns into the lock on Rose's cuffs before they were opened and Rose freed. "Rose, talk to him. Keep him distracted while I free the others."
"Right." Rose nodded as she slowly stood up. Nervously she stepped forward toward the man in the cage.
Madison kept an eye on the girl from the corner of her vision as she moved on to the next person. She wasn't going to let it get too far of Rose talking to this man. If she sensed his ill intent change, even in the slightest, she was going to pull Rose away. Madison wouldn't allow the girl to be harmed. Not on her watch.
"Don't, child," whispered Sir Robert's wife, shaking on the spot as she tried warning Rose to get away from the man in the cage. She then glanced over towards Madison. "You shouldn't. He'll only come after us."
"Trust me. Better to be freed with a fighting chance than to sit here like easy prey," Madison replied, trying her best to assure the woman as she freed the first servant girl. "Wait until I have us all unlocked. Best leave in numbers than individually," she told the maid. The servant girl nodded and watched her as Madison moved on to the next.
"Who are you?" she heard Rose ask the man as she hurried on with her work. "Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"
"Oh . . . Intelligence," spoke the man in an airy voice, sounding curious. But there was a mocking tone he held as well, almost like he was amused by someone understanding that there were other lifeforms out there.
"Where were you born?" Rose tried again.
"This body?" responded the man, tilting his head curiously. "Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the Brethren for my cultivation." Madison glanced over, seeing the expression on the man's face grow sinister. "I carved out his soul and sat in his heart," he hissed darkly. A sharp shiver went through her then and her gut feeling twisted as it continued to scream at her to run. She worked faster, getting the last servant girl out of her chains and working on the men now.
"All right, so the body's human," Rose breathed, seeming more than nervous now. "What about you, the thing inside?"
"So far from home," said the man.
"If you want to get back home, we can help."
"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."
"How would you do that?"
"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."
"You mean Queen Victoria?"
"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins, the Empire of the Wolf." The man let out a small chuckle. "So many questions." He leapt forward then, snarling and making a sound no human could ever possibly make as he went towards the end of the cage. Rose jumped back while Madison stood up quickly and grabbed the girl, pulling her back.
"Okay. That's enough," she told Rose, nodding for her to join the others. It was her turn to address this wolf now. She adjusted herself, standing straight and unwavering, trying her best to appear strong as she stared at the man and kept his line of vision away from the others. "So, you wish to take over this world. I see. Well, I'll have to speak for everyone here when I say we decline your offer of control over the Crown." She narrowed her eyes then as she heard the man chuckle in response. "I can tell you right now, you won't succeed. We will stop you. But it doesn't have to end in violence. If you so wish, we could make some sort of peace. But this will be your only warning and your one chance. After that, there's nothing more I can help you with."
"Oh, do you think because you once burnt like the Sun that you can stop me?" retorted the man, tilting his head as he seemed to study her carefully. "Inside your eyes. I can see it. There is something of the wolf about you. But, oh, it's different. It sings within you even now. Like that of a siren." She tensed up, feeling her heart rate pick up as he leered at her. "Tell me, can your song hold any power against mine?"
It was then that the cellular doors leading outside opened up, allowing a wave of moonlight into the darkness. It shone upon the man, making his ghostly white skin glow. He smiled as he turned towards the light, seeming to bask happily within the radiance. Madison felt the hairs on her arms and neck stand on end as her instincts screamed at her again. She turned swiftly, feeling panicked as she had only managed to get half of the people out of their shackles.
"We need to go. We need to go right now," she told them, walking over quickly to them. She could hear snarls and groans coming from the man behind her. Then, there came the sound of bones snapping. It was gruesome sounding. Especially when the man began to scream in agony. His screams moped into that of a wolf's snarling rage. She glanced over her shoulder just briefly to get a picture of what was happening. She could see that he was half transformed now into that of a wolf. He was a wolf. More specifically, that of a mythical creature, the werewolf. Oh, dear. Now they were in for it.
Rose and she both ordered the group to yank on the chains, hoping to pull them away from the bolted section that connected them to the wall. Everyone worked together, moving quickly in their fright of what was happening. Though it took some encouragement from others as a few freed individuals had tried to run off in seeing the wolf transforming. Finally, the bolt broke and they all fell back as they lurched from the momentum. Madison glanced over as she picked herself up from the floor, seeing the wolf had fully formed into his true appearance. He was massive, barely fitting in his cage as he was bent over. He had hind legs that were long, almost looking to be human legs but twisted into a beast-like state. His hands were extended and lengthy, with razor-sharp claws for nails. His snout was elongated, with sharp teeth that glistened as he bared them at her, saliva dripping down at the sides of his muzzle. His body was covered in thick brown fur that shifted over him with the flex of every muscle in his newly formed body. Those black eyes shone in the moonlight, staring at her with such twisted desire to hunt and kill. She felt frozen in place by those eyes. The eyes of a true predator.
"Maddie, move it!" she heard Rose saying, snapping herself out of the frozen state she had found herself in. She looked over just as the door leading to the house was kicked down. There stood the Doctor in the doorway, appearing to be quite furious by the looks of it. His anger appeared to lessen as he saw Madison and Rose running with the captive group towards the door. Then, she saw how he noticed the wolf beginning to tear itself out of the cage, ripping apart the metal bars as though they were nothing but paper.
"Oh, that's beautiful," Madison happened to hear him say as she and Rose remained behind in the room to make certain everyone else got into the house first.
"Admire it later, yes?" Madison said breathlessly, voice somewhat tight as she still felt the instinct to flee.
"Right," he muttered, turning towards her and yanking both her and Rose into the house. "You two just can't stay out of trouble can you?"
"Nope," said Rose.
"Never," Madison added.
The Doctor slammed the door shut just as they heard the wolf howling, locking the door with his sonic screwdriver. He then grabbed Madison and Rose's hands, leading them back into the home. Once they were a safe distance away, he started to sonic Madison's cuffs. She glanced around, seeing the steward was getting the different men of the estate prepared for battle with rifles. Sir Robert's wife, who she heard to be Lady Isobel, led the women of the house away for safety.
"What do you think it is?" Rose asked the Doctor as he worked on Madison's shackles.
"Could be any form of light-modulating species triggered by specific wavelengths," he explained in rapid fashion. "Did it say what it wanted?"
"The Queen, the crown, the throne, you name it," Rose told him quickly.
"I tried giving it a warning against its plans, but it didn't appear willing to listen," Madison explained. She rubbed at her wrists as the Doctor freed them. She tensed as she heard the slamming crash of a door being ripped apart. She stood there next to Rose, worried for the Doctor as he went to go and inspect what was happening. He came running back into the room shortly after, rushing over to her and Rose as he grabbed their hands and yanked them back to stand behind all the servants with guns. She flinched as the men started firing upon the sight of the wolf. The sound of the guns reverberated in the room. The wolf howled in pain, retreating back down the hallway to vanish from sight. The men stopped firing, holding still now with bated breath.
"All right, you men, we should retreat upstairs. Come with me," the Doctor said to the group.
"I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's earth could survive such an assault," scoffed the steward, smirking in the confidence of a won fight. He headed towards the hallway that the wolf had retreated to. But Madison knew it was too easy. That creature was much too powerful to be stopped by mere human weapons. Especially those from this era. Not by a long shot.
"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" the Doctor ordered, trying to get the man to listen.
"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall," the steward countered crossly. He inspected the hallway briefly, turning back towards them with an arrogant smirk. "It must have crawled away to—" The sentence was never finished as suddenly massive clawed hands came from above and pulled the man upwards into the rafters. Madison ran along with the Doctor, Rose, and Sir Robert as they heard the terrible screams of the steward as he was ripped apart. Soon to follow were the screams of the other men who tried to stay behind and fire more of their weapons at the creature.
"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert began shouting the moment they were far enough away from the beast. The Doctor turned and locked the door behind them, even though they all knew it was useless. Madison glanced over as she saw the Queen coming down hurriedly from the stairs and clutching a large purse in her hands.
"Sir Robert, what's happening?" Her Majesty questioned, eyes wide in alarm as she saw the fear in their eyes. "I heard such terrible noises."
"You Majesty, we've got to get out," Sir Robert told the Queen. "But what of Father Angelo, is he still here?"
"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," the Queen answered him.
"There won't be any of that. We're sure to be trapped now," Madison said, walking out of the room they were standing in and over to a window to see if she was correct. Seeing the other Brethren standing outside the home, circling the estate with rifles in hands, she knew her notions from earlier were true. Of course, they were. It was what she would have done if this had been her plan. "As I feared. They've encircled the compound and plan to shoot anyone who tries to escape."
"She's right," said the Doctor, also looking out the window with her. "They must have taken care of the soldiers and took their weapons."
"They want to ensure that you're bitten by the wolf. It wants to infect you so it can take over the throne," Madison explained, turning to see the Queen narrowing her eyes in suspicion and scepticism.
"Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," the Queen scolded her. It was then that a loud howl came from nearby. They all jumped lightly and Madison knew the wolf was getting closer to them. Far too close for comfort. So they all swiftly went out of the one room, going to the front by the staircase just in time to see the wolf beginning to break down the door the Doctor had locked earlier.
"We need to run," Madison breathed.
"Is that it?" Rose responded, seeming sceptical of this plan.
"You got any silver bullets?" the Doctor countered.
"Not on me, no," Rose replied sarcastically.
"There we are, then. We run," said the Doctor, looking at the Queen now. "Your Majesty, as a doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog, good for the health." He jogged in place briefly for demonstration.
"You stay ahead of us, Your Majesty," Madison added, guiding the Queen over to the staircase to be the first in line for their escape. She didn't want to chance it with the Queen being bitten. If that were to happen, then it would most likely be all over. The wolf would win and history would change for the worse.
They ran up the many flights of stairs, going higher and higher into the manor as they went. Madison breathed heavily as she rushed alongside the others, with the Doctor coming up the rear as he seemed to be keeping an eye out for the wolf. She could hear the wolf not far behind them. Its thundering paws on the steps of the stairs were ominous. She could almost feel the hot breath from it on the back of her neck as she heard the growls and snarls coming from it. Eventually, they ran out of stairs to climb and they were simply running down the hallways in flight. The pounding footsteps of the wolf were heard coming down the way, getting closer by the second. She glanced over her shoulder to see the wolf was right on the Doctor's tail, about to leap for him. She cried out and halted as she went to stop it. But, as luck would have it, Captain Reynolds came out of an adjacent room from the Doctor and fired his pistol right into the wolf's face. The beast howled, stumbling back and retreating in pain from the wound in its face.
"Doctor, are you all right?!" she said, rushing over to see the Doctor had stumbled into the wall, eyes wide and letting out a shaky breath.
"Yep!" he said a little too forcefully. She grabbed his hand, pulling him around the corner of the hallway towards another. Everyone had collected themselves there, trying to catch their breath as they stood beside Captain Reynolds.
Currently, the Captain was reloading his pistol, preparing himself for a fight. "I'll take this position and hold it. You keep moving, for God's sakes," he told them. "Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."
"I have it. It's safe," the Queen replied quickly.
"Then remove yourself, ma'am," ordered the Captain. "Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's protector. And you, Sir Robert. You're a traitor to the Crown."
"Bullets can't stop it," the Doctor tried to warn the man.
"They'll buy you time. Now, run!" the Captain ordered them again, turning towards the hallway as they heard the thundering footsteps of the wolf.
The group took off once more, rushing down the hallway as they listened to the sound of gunfire and snarls. Soon Captain Reynold's screams of agony replaced the gunfire and Madison heard the sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart. She glanced over as she and the others entered a large library. Rose was standing there, frozen in place as she watched the gruesome scene unfold down the hall. As quick as she could, Madison went over and grabbed the girl's hand, yanking her into the room with the others. Sir Robert and the Doctor slammed the door shut just as she and Rose entered, beginning to barricade the door as they went. Madison and Rose helped along, grabbing all sorts of tables and chairs throughout the room in hopes of holding out from the beast. Though Madison feared it might be useless as this wolf was strong. Incredibly strong. A makeshift barricade may be nothing more than sticks to the beast.
She tensed along with the others when they heard the wolf coming to the door. Carefully she listened as she heard the creature sniffing around the outside of the door, seeming to inspect the wood from the outside. The Doctor pressed his ear to the door, listening to the beast. Soon, he turned and looked back at them as the footsteps were heard receding.
"It's gone," he said, getting away from the door as he seemed baffled by this development.
"But listen. You can still hear it," Madison breathed, tensing along with the others as they heard the wolf running around the estate, seeming to be searching for another way into the large study room. She heard the Doctor whispering to Sir Robert about another door. Sir Robert, at first, replied that there was nowhere else, but suddenly panicked as he recalled another entrance. He and the Doctor ran over, shutting this door as well, just in time for the wolf to appear outside it. They listened as the wolf growled in annoyance before leaving once again.
"I don't understand. What's stopping it?" Rose questioned quietly.
"I'm wondering the same thing," Madison said, looking around the room for a sign of why the wolf would stop its pursuit. The room appeared ordinary by any standards. Just a simple study room for someone to read over the books from the many shelves within the place. There was a fireplace to the side with a mantle made from white marble. Deep red rugs lined the floors elegantly. It was dark in the room, with the only source of light coming from the Moon above them through the skylight. Nothing that she could see showed signs of stopping such a wolf. She glanced over when she noticed that the Queen was shivering. She went over quickly, placing a comforting hand on the woman's arm.
"It'll be alright, Your Majesty. We won't let anything happen to you," she whispered to the Queen. "I'm sorry about Captain Reynolds. He was a good man." The Queen somewhat gave her a side glance and nodded in thanks.
"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?" the Doctor muttered as he spoke aloud his thoughts.
"I'll tell you what, though," spoke Rose, making the Doctor turn towards her.
"What?" he responded.
Rose started to grin. "Werewolf."
He returned her grin, looking excited. "I know!"
Seeing how both of her friends were elated by such a revelation, Madison couldn't help but feel both amused and frustrated with them. Amused by their delight. Frustrated with their timing to celebrate such a thing. People had just died, after all. She cleared her throat, giving them both a pointed look. "I do not believe it's the time to be excited over such things," she said sternly, earning herself a sheepish smile from each of them.
"Right," Rose agreed.
"Sorry," added the Doctor.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's all my fault," came a voice then. They all looked over, seeing Sir Robert slumped down into a chair. His face was stricken as he appeared so drained then. "I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice." He lifted his gaze towards the Doctor then. "Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"
"Well, yeah, I knew something was wrong, but I was trying to figure that out and not cause anyone to get hurt in the process," the Doctor admitted, frowning thoughtfully. "Guess I wasn't fast enough in figuring out something. I even thought maybe they were just after what you were carrying around, Your Majesty." He nodded towards the Queen's purse, indicating that he was talking about the 'special property' of hers. It was obvious to them that her purse held the object within. At the mention of this, the Queen's hands tightened around her purse, holding a hard stare at the Doctor.
"And you didn't think to warn my soldiers about such a thing?" the Queen asked strictly.
The Doctor began rubbing at his earlobe. "I–I could have, yeah. Thought maybe I could take care of it myself." He dropped his hand from his ear. "But I promise, I didn't know it was going to turn out like this."
"I bet you're not amused now, ma'am," Rose joked lightly. Seeing the Queen's look of outrage, Rose became sheepish, looking ashamed of what she had said.
"Do you think this is funny?" the Queen snapped at her.
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry," Rose mumbled.
"What, exactly, I pray, tell me, someone, please, what exactly is that creature?" Her Majesty demanded from them.
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine-wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor explained briskly.
"And should I trust you, sir? You, who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?" The Queen turned on Madison then. "And I've noticed yours is missing as well."
Seeing the Doctor wince, Madison sighed. That's right. Their accents they had been using. Since the beginning of this mess they had sort of dropped the act altogether. Damn. She was normally better at this. Putting up an accent had always been easy for her. She must have lost her touch somewhere down the line.
"Sorry, ma'am, we were just trying—," Madison tried to explain.
"I'll not have it," the Queen spoke over her, as strict as ever with her words. "No, sir. Not the two of you, not that thing, none of it." She held her head up high, staring down at them. "This is not my world."
Madison felt her anger spike. Again, those in denial always got to her in the end. But it was worse than that this time. For what the Queen had said . . . "Well, I hate to break it to you, Your Majesty, but this is your world. It's been here since the very beginning. You've just been blind to it until now," she responded, just as strict in her own words. "There's always been others living amongst humans. Others visiting and travelling to and from this planet. Most are harmless, while some, yes, some, do mean to conquer and control when they stumble across a world that they see as weak and easy to manipulate and take over. Which isn't so different from your world now is it?"
"There haven't ever been things such as this in my world," the Queen argued, throwing a hard glare at Madison. "And I don't like your tone."
"Oh, really?" Madison crossed her arms, sending the Queen her own hard stare. "Tell me, does the royal family still have that dead merman laying around in your basement?"
Now Her Majesty, taken aback, blinked in shock with her glare dropping as she appeared confused. "That was given to my family by an artist who made it as a mere attraction for fantasy. It is nothing more than an art piece." Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And how do you know of such a thing? That is meant to be a family heirloom."
Madison dropped her arms, her hands tightening into fists as her words came out wavering from her turmoil of emotions. "That is no art piece. That was a living being who had a family, had friends, had a life, before they were turned into some sort of mockery for your family. You took him from his world and perverted him for your own." She turned, making to storm off as she didn't want to speak with the Queen anymore. Partly afraid to anger royalty and be disrespectful, but mostly because she just couldn't stand the sight of Her Majesty at the moment. But then she stopped and turned back towards the Queen for one last thing. "I'm afraid that's always been your world, Your Majesty. And now a piece of that unknown is coming out to rear its ugly head. Whether you like it or not. Though I do promise to try my very best to keep you safe. So you can be certain of that at least."
Giving the Queen a quick curtsy, she continued to walk away, going deeper into the library to hide from sight. She sat at a chair that was still left behind from the barricade, slumping into it as she just felt so exhausted at the moment. She chuckled quietly to herself then. Now she had gone and done it. She upset the Queen. She was probably going to get her head chopped off for this. Heh. Wouldn't be the first time someone threatened to do that. Though . . . it would be a first for a noble to make that threat.
"Madison? Are you okay?"
Madison glanced over, seeing the Doctor standing near her now. Looking over she saw Sir Robert was still in his chair. Still as stricken as before. The Queen had also found her own chair off in the corner of the room. From her expression alone, Madison could tell that the woman was troubled. By what, it was hard to say. There was just so much going on this day that there could be a multitude of factors at play. Rose appeared to be lingering by the barricade door, biting her bottom lip as she glanced over at the Doctor and Madison. It made Madison realise that the Doctor must have told the companion that he needed to speak with her alone.
"Yes, I'm fine," she finally sighed. "Sorry I lost my temper again."
"You're fine," the Doctor said, coming over to crouch in front of her. He placed a hand on her knee, staring at her in concern. "But I know when something's bothering you. You don't normally lose your temper so quickly. Do you want to talk about it?" Thinking for a moment, Madison took a deep breath.
"That Mer was family. He was my mother's twin brother," Madison explained quietly. "So . . . you can say that it's somewhat personal when it comes to his treatment." She felt guilty then, ashamed of her earlier temper. "I didn't mean for old resentment to cloud my judgement. I don't hold it against the Queen. It wasn't her fault for what her ancestors had done."
"I know you don't," whispered the Doctor, still rubbing soothing circles on her knee. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like when family is involved." His expression fell, appearing sombre. "We . . . tend to lose sight of things when it comes to family or the ones we love."
Madison hummed, nodding. "I've noticed. You've been . . . rather protective of me lately."
He stared at her then. His eyes sad, old eyes that held so steady as he gazed at her. "I've lost so much . . . I just don't want to lose you, too."
Reaching forward, she gently cupped his face in her hands, thumbing his cheeks. "You won't. I'm not going away any time soon. I promise." Letting go of his face, she glanced around at everyone again. "We should have this discussion later, however, as I think we need to focus on what's at hand."
"Right," he agreed as he cleared his throat, seeming to be pulling himself out of his remorseful thoughts. He glanced around the room thoughtfully. "Well . . . for starters I'd like to figure out how the wolf is being kept away."
"Is it something built into the walls themselves?"
Humming, he stood up, walking away from her. She stood up to follow, going with him to the door. Rose stopped biting her lip quickly, staring at Madison in concern.
"You okay?" the girl asked.
"I'm fine," Madison assured her. She happened to glance over as the Doctor was rubbing at the mistletoe carving in the wood of the door before licking it. She made a face at him. "That isn't very sanitary, you know."
"Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe," the Doctor muttered under his breath, obviously ignoring her comment. Or, perhaps again, he just didn't hear her. "It's been worked into the wood like a varnish." This made her curious. Not so much the varnish, but rather the licking. Could the Doctor analyse chemical compounds just by taste? Or, maybe all his senses could. It might just depend on which one he used to get a more accurate reading. Which made her wonder if this was another unique trait of a Time Lord.
"My father built this room. That would have been his doing. Though I never understood why," Sir Robert spoke then, earning their attention. The Doctor suddenly beamed.
"How clever was your dad? I love him!" he exclaimed brightly. He stepped away from the door, turning towards everyone. "Powerful stuff, mistletoe, bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."
"Oh! It's something the wolf is allergic to, then?" Madison replied.
"Or it thinks it is," added the Doctor, nodding to her. "The monkey-monk-monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."
"That explains why they were wearing mistletoe around their necks," Madison said, recalling what she had seen outside the window.
The Doctor frowned lightly. "They were?"
"You didn't notice?"
"Eh, I was mostly looking at their guns." Sniffing, the Doctor seemed to jump ahead with other revelations, walking away from them.
"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor," said Sir Robert, "and we still don't possess an actual weapon."
"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor retorted rather rudely.
"Doctor," Madison sighed.
"Yes, I know, that was rude. But I meant that one," responded the Doctor in dismissal. He jumped over to one of the many bookshelves in the room, grinning eagerly at them. "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." He turned around, placing on his black-rimmed glasses as he held a serious expression then. "This room is the greatest arsenal we could have."
He began grabbing different books then, tossing them over to Madison, Rose, and Sir Robert. Madison caught a rather large book, glancing down to see the title Wolves of England written across it. Nodding, she understood the purpose of this room now. It had always been there, waiting to help Sir Robert in this time of need. A gift from his father, right in plain sight. If only Sir Robert had paid attention to his father's seeming madness. Maybe then this all could have been avoided. No matter. She would study everything that they needed, wanting to help in any way she could. So she sat down in a chair, flipping through the book in hand as she heard the others, Rose and Sir Robert, starting to do the same. Most of them spoke out loud about what they were reading and discovering. She kept quiet, keeping herself focused as she went through her books. The words blurred as she felt herself speed through the books. It felt strange. Almost as if she were . . . absorbing the words. She blinked as she stopped, feeling light-headed suddenly. She held her head as it throbbed beneath her fingers. Why was reading causing her to feel so sick? Was it the lighting of the room?
"You all right?"
Madison glanced up from her book, seeing Rose staring at her in concern. "Yes, I'm okay. Just got a headache suddenly," she said.
"Well, I'd get a headache too if I read that fast. You've gone through like twenty books," Rose teased her.
Madison blinked in surprise, looking around to see that indeed she had gone through at least two shelves worth of books at a rapid pace. "So it seems," she mumbled, frowning somewhat. She didn't remember reading all these books. She hardly recalled even picking up the one that was currently in her hand. She had never been that fast of a reader before. Why the sudden change? And why, even though she barely remembered reading, she could almost recall exactly what each book said. At least, all the basic knowledge.
Was this another 'side-effect' the Doctor had warned her she might experience? Since that one day in the TARDIS, she hadn't exactly experienced any more. She hardly even allowed herself near the console since that day, either. It honestly unnerved her to have such an ability to feel connected to the TARDIS. She knew it bothered the ship in keeping her distance, but at least the Doctor seemed to be giving her space with the change. He hadn't once brought it up since that day.
"Hey, your nose is bleeding," Rose pointed out.
"Huh?" Madison blinked as she felt the warm wetness on her upper lip. She lifted a hand, quickly wiping it away and holding out her fingers to see that her nose was indeed bleeding. "Oh . . . Yes. That happens sometimes when I'm too dry."
"Don't worry. We'll get you back to the TARDIS as soon as we're done here." Rose gave her a soft smile before walking away to read more of her book.
Madison grimaced uncomfortably. The lie had left a bad taste in her mouth, but she ignored the feeling and pressed onwards, reading more of her books. Though this time she made certain to focus on going at a slower pace. This did not last too long as her attention was pulled elsewhere when the Doctor made a sound.
"Ooh. Look what your old dad found," he said to Sir Robert before walking away from the bookshelf behind him and placing the large book he held onto a desk. All of them gathered around, staring at the pages. There was a picture, drawn by an artist from 1540. It showed them that of a blazing meteor appearing to streak across the countryside of old Scotland.
"A spaceship?" Rose wondered aloud.
"A shooting star," said Sir Robert. "'In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James V, an almighty fire did burn in the pit,'" he read aloud. "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?" asked Rose, appearing baffled.
"The right time period I suppose. Had to wait until there was the right sort of machinery to use for its purposes," Madison suggested.
"No, I think it's simpler than that," the Doctor muttered, frowning in deep thought. "It might have just been a single cell that survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host."
"But why does it want the throne?" questioned Sir Robert.
"That's what it wants, it said so. The Empire of the Wolf," Rose added, nodding as she apparently thought back to the conversation between her and the wolf."
The Doctor stared off in thought, brow furrowed as he seemed to contemplate the worse possibility. "Imagine it," he said, quietly. "The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fuelled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake."
Madison gave a shudder. The possibilities were horrendous to even contemplate. All the wars that could occur. All the death. Hardly anyone could survive such a thing. She saw the Queen suddenly stand from where she had been sitting, obviously just as unnerved by what she had overheard them saying.
"Sir Robert. If I am to die here—," she began to say.
"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Sir Robert interrupted her, staring at her worriedly as he walked over to stand closer to her.
"-I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me," the Queen continued on, ignoring him, "but that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."
"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," said the Doctor, earning himself a sharp stare from Her Majesty.
"Thank you for your opinion," the Queen countered him quickly, "but there is nothing more valuable than this."
They watched as she opened her clutch and pulled out a large, heavy diamond. The thing took up most of her palm as she presented it forward to them. The moonlight gleamed off its surface, making it appear to shine in an otherworldly light. Madison felt both of her brows arch high as she stared at it. Of all her years, she never thought she would see Koh-i-Noor in person. And during its time when it had still been such a massive size. It was beautiful in appearance, though its history, if she recalled, was not as such. It had a rather dark history behind it. So much death, all for the sake of one jewel. Honestly, it was sad to think about.
"Is that the Koh-i-Noor?" Rose questioned in shock.
"Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world," said the Doctor, staring at the jewel with keen interest. His eyes lit up upon the sight of it. Though Madison could tell it wasn't for the value of the jewel itself, but rather the wealth of history behind it.
"Given to me as the spoils of war," Queen Victoria told them. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."
"Well, that's true of anything, if you wait long enough," said the Doctor and Madison had to nod in agreement. He then stepped forward towards the Queen, holding out a hand in question. "Can I?"
The Queen pulled back somewhat at first, eyeing the Doctor with uncertainty and suspicion. Her hand tightened around the diamond for a moment before she carefully handed over the diamond. Her eyes refused to leave the jewel as the Doctor began inspecting the diamond. Madison could tell that the Queen was nervous about anyone other than herself holding the jewel at this point in time. Madison scooted in as everyone else did, taking a look at the jewel for a closer inspection. She had to smile in amusement when seeing Rose's eagerly keen expression while looking at the diamond. She could tell Rose was excited by the prospect of being around such a valuable object. And Sir Robert just appeared bewildered to have the opportunity to see something such as this.
"That is so beautiful," the Doctor said quietly.
"How much is that worth?" Rose asked them.
"They say, the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor told her.
"Good job my mum's not here, she'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing," Rose said after laughing lightly in awe.
"And she'd win," the Doctor replied, chuckling lightly.
Madison couldn't help but agree. "Without a doubt," she chortled.
"Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence," Sir Robert suddenly mentioned, staring around thoughtfully as he stepped away and walked towards the fireplace. Madison frowned as she thought of this, too. It had been a nagging thought in the back of her mind for a moment now.
"Why do you travel with it?" the Doctor asked suddenly, earning her attention again.
"My annual pilgrimage," answered the Queen. "I'm taking it to Hellier and Carew, the Royal Jewellers at Hazlehead. The stone needs recutting."
"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose responded, frowning as she stared at the diamond.
"My late husband never thought so," the Queen replied, smiling lightly.
"Now, there's a fact. Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-i-Noor cut down," said the Doctor as he placed away his glasses, lowering his hand as he seemed finished marvelling at the diamond. "It used to be forty percent bigger than this, but he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."
"Seems like it was an obsession," Madison remarked lightly.
"He always said the shine was not quite right, but he died with it still unfinished," said the Queen, her smile turning sad.
"Unfinished . . ." mumbled the Doctor, staring at the Queen for a moment as his eyes slowly lit up with that of realisation. His brown eyes were alight with a spark as something seemed to click within his mind. "Oh, yes!" He tossed back the diamond to the Queen, who caught it in shock that it had been handled rather carelessly. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house." He looked at Sir Robert. "His father's research," then back to the Queen, "and your husband, ma'am. He came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, oh, hold on." He turned suddenly, rubbing hands through his hair roughly, making it a mess, more so than it already had been, as he started pacing. "All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head!" Letting go of his hair, he ran over to the Queen. "What if this house . . . It's a trap for you. Is that right, ma'am?"
"Obviously," replied the Queen, frowning in confusion about the Doctor's behaviour.
"At least, that's what the wolf intended, but what if there's a trap inside the trap?"
"Do you think Sir Robert's father and Prince Albert were working together, knowing that one day the wolf would go after the Queen?" Madison asked, seeing where the Doctor was heading with this thought. It seemed remarkable if this were the case. Though it made sense given Sir Robert's father's work and the library varnish that Prince Albert would be there alongside his friend in the endeavour against the wolf.
"That's exactly what I'm saying!" the Doctor said, grinning away at them all. "What if they 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."
It was at that moment a cloud of dust trickled from above. They could hear the sound of creaking and scratching. The sound of claws against glass. When Madison looked up along with the others, her breath caught as she saw the wolf on the dome skylight. It bared its razor-sharp teeth at them, beginning to growl as its claws scratched at the glass. The distinct sound of glass beginning to crack was heard next.
"That wolf, there," mumbled the Doctor.
"Out!" Madison shouted, grabbing the Queen's arm and yanking her towards the door. The Doctor shouted along with her as the glass began to break.
Together everyone worked to clear the barricade from the door and Madison flung it open the moment it was free. She pulled the Queen out first, still wanting to make certain to keep her far away from the wolf. The Doctor closed the door behind them the moment they were through. This did not seem to stop the wolf as it had before as they could hear the door being broken apart in an instant. The Doctor yelled at them to run towards the observatory as they rushed down the hallway. Madison happened to glance over her shoulder as they ran, seeing the wolf catching up to them fast. Horror went through her as Rose lagged behind. She had been running so far this day that Madison could tell it was getting to the girl. The girl was exhausted and it showed as she faltered in her run. The wolf snarled, lunging for Rose as the blonde looked back and screamed in fright.
"ROSE!" Madison screamed, stopping short and running back to get her friend. The Doctor was just behind her, also on the move to save their friend. As luck would have it, out came Lady Isobel and the servant girls from another hallway, taking a large boiling pot in their hands and dumping the contents onto the wolf just as it made to leap at Rose. The wolf howled in pain, scratching at its face where the water had hit it. It swiftly retreated back down the hallway, disappearing from view. The scent of mistletoe was strong in the air then, telling Madison that the ladies had cooked up a patch of the stuff.
"Good shot!" the Doctor praised them as he ran down the hallway to check to see where the wolf had run off to. Madison walked over to Rose, giving the girl a strong hug.
"You're sticking with me, got it?" she told the girl.
"Right," breathed Rose, nodding nervously.
Madison glanced over as she heard quick muttering. She could see Sir Robert hugging and comforting his wife briefly before telling her to go somewhere safe again. Each of them gave one another a kiss before Lady Isobel took herself and the servant girls back down the stairs towards safety. Madison's gut twisted as she saw the look on Sir Robert's face. That was no ordinary reassurance between husband and wife. Sir Robert was almost acting as though . . . it were a last goodbye. Unsure of what to think about this, she was snapped out of her thoughts as the Doctor came rushing past her and Rose, telling their group they needed to move quickly to the observatory. And so, he led the way, making them all follow along in a rush up the stairs. Soon, they arrived in the room.
"No mistletoe on these doors, 'cause your father wanted the wolf to get inside," the Doctor said rapidly to Sir Robert as they entered the room. "I just need time. Is there any way to barricading this?"
"Do your work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert told him, stepping back out of the room.
"No, Sir Robert, think of your wife. She's waiting for you," Madison responded quickly, going over swiftly to stand by the man.
"If we could bind them shut with rope or something—," the Doctor tried to offer in solution.
"I said I'll find you time. Now, get inside," Sir Robert said, firmer in his stance this time. He took two large steps away from them, face set in determination.
"You can't. There's already been so much death today. Please," Madison said, feeling torn about what to do.
"I must do this. To repay for what I have done today," Sir Robert told her, resolved to do what he must. Madison felt a heavy heart as she sighed and allowed the Doctor to pull her back into the room.
"Good man," the Doctor said, nodding goodbye to Sir Robert. He then shut the doors, locking them tightly before turning to the Queen. "Your Majesty, the diamond."
"For what purpose?" questioned the Queen, obviously confused.
"The purpose it was designed for," explained the Doctor, holding out a hand for the diamond. The Queen reluctantly gave it to him. He turned swiftly going over to the telescope. "Maddie, protect the Queen. Rose, with me."
Nodding, the two departed to do their task. Madison went over to a suit of armour, grabbing a sword from it and coming back over to stand in front of the Queen. She made a firm stance, ready to strike. Outside of the door, she could hear Sir Robert shouting. His voice changed from defence to that of screaming in agony. The howling and snarls of the wolf could be heard along with this and her heart sank heavily. But she kept herself tense, ready for a fight as the door began to be banged on.
"Your Majesty, go hide in a corner. I'll protect you," Madison whispered to the Queen.
"No . . . Not this time. I think I am done hiding for today," the Queen said strongly, though she shook on the spot as she pulled out a cross necklace from her dress and held it out in front of her. She began muttering a prayer then under her breath. Madison let her do what made her feel comfortable. If she hid or not, it didn't matter. The wolf was obviously going to get her if the Doctor's plan didn't work. Madison could hear the Doctor and Rose struggling to adjust the telescope. He hadn't explained what it and the diamond were going to do, but she hoped that, somehow, it would work.
And it seemed to as she heard it beginning to buzz. She looked back, seeing that the telescope was now pointing towards the full moon that was high in the sky and a beam of lighting was starting to come from the massive device. She had no time to marvel at it as the door in front of her burst apart. Splinters went everywhere, flying through the air. A few just barely missed her as they grazed past her face. She steeled herself, readying her sword as the wolf raised its paw towards her.
"Move!" she heard the Doctor shouting and she didn't have to be told twice. She turned and grabbed the Queen, making them both fall to the ground as a beam of light shot over their heads. The beam hit the wolf square in the chest, sending it flying. It hovered in the air then, in a glow of brilliant moonlight from the telescope's beam. Slowly, they could see the wolf transform back into a man. He stared sadly down at them, a worn look about him.
"Make it brighter. Let me go," the man said quietly. Madison felt sorry for him then, knowing what twisted fate had bestowed on him. She looked over, seeing the Doctor hesitate for a moment before turning a small dial on the telescope. The light from the beam strengthened, turning brighter still. The man appeared to fade away within the light, leaving behind a projected image of the wolf. The image howled one last time before vanishing completely from sight.
The entire room then seemed to give a sigh of relief. Madison sat back where she lay on the floor, setting aside her sword as she was merely glad to have this night over with. Though sadness hung over her heavily as she thought over the lives lost today. Gazing over at the Queen, she made to apologise for pushing Her Majesty onto the floor when she paused. Sitting there, staring intently at her hand, Madison could see the Queen inspecting an injury. From what Madison could see, it appeared as if one of the splinters had lodged itself into her skin. A trickle of blood could be seen going down the woman's wrist as she held her hand. There, on the splinter, Madison could have sworn she saw the glistening of saliva. She watched as the Queen subtly took out the splinter from her hand and dropped it down by her feet.
"Your Majesty . . . do you need help?" Madison asked her quietly, feeling a trickle of foreboding cross over her.
"Yes. Please," replied the Queen, holding out an uninjured hand for Madison to help her up off the floor. After she got them both back onto her feet, Madison took a few steps back from the Queen as she saw Her Majesty inspecting her injury again.
". . . You've been hurt," Madison said, speaking steadily as she thought over the implications of such a thing.
"Did it bite you?" the Doctor asked suddenly, going over to see for himself.
"No, it's . . . it's a cut, that's all," the Queen answered lightly.
"If that thing bit you—," the Doctor started to say as he walked toward the Queen.
"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing."
"Let me see." The Doctor held out a hand to inspect it.
Queen Victoria turned sharply, eyes alight as if to warn the Doctor to stand down. "It is nothing." She grabbed her skirts then, holding her head up high. "Well, then, let us depart from here. There is much to be done in a wake of such tragedy." She left the room swiftly then, leaving the other three behind with raised brows and wary glances at one another.
XxXxXxXxXx
It was a night of grief for many after things were said and done. The Queen gathered up her soldiers, telling them of what had occurred while they slept from their drugged-induced sleep. Many were confused but seemed to take the tale well enough. They mourned over the loss of their Captain. That much Madison could see just by glancing at their expressions. But their resolve to hunt down the Brethren and arrest them seemed to help in their mourning. With all the servant men of the estate gone . . . the maids sniffled and cried over the loss. But none was in a state of grief more than Lady Isobel. She wept for her husband, shaking where she sat in a chair and sobbing for her lost husband. Madison wanted to comfort the grieving wife, but she felt it wasn't her place. So she allowed the Lady her space, going elsewhere in the home. Madison could see the Doctor discussing things with a few of the soldiers, preparing them for what to expect after a day like this. Rose was slumped in a chair, half asleep as she was exhausted from running all night long.
Madison found her then, in a small study room adjacent to the main placement of the estate. The Queen was standing there, gazing out towards the distant mountains and watching the Sun rise slowly over the horizon. She stood rigidly in place, hands clasped together as she appeared lost in thought. Nervous to speak with the elder woman, Madison took a breath as she walked into the room. There was something she wanted to discuss with the Queen still. Before this day was over . . . she knew she needed to.
"Your Majesty, I don't mean to disturb you, but I wanted to speak with you. Privately. If that is all right," she said quietly, shutting the door.
"Yes? What is it?" the Queen responded, eyeing her up and down.
"How are you feeling?" she asked then softly, walking over to stand beside her.
"As fine as I can after a night such as that," the Queen answered, sounding tired and remorseful. Though her emotions did not carry over to her expression as she held it firmly in place.
Madison nodded. "I understand." She stared out the window as well, sighing softly. "I wish no one had died today. No one deserved to meet such a fate. Not like that."
"Let us remember the life that had been instead of what had happened in their last moments," the Queen said quietly, giving a forlorn nod.
"Yes. I will remember them. Always." They remained quiet for a moment, reflecting in the silence of the lives lost.
Soon, the Queen turned to her curiously. "But you did not come here to speak of death and life. I have a feeling you came to discuss other matters."
"Actually, in a way, it is about death and life." Madison turned to face her fully, keeping her eyes solely on the Queen. "Your Majesty . . . it's about that merman you have in the vaults."
"Oh, not this again. It is nothing. Why do you persist on it?" Queen Victoria waved a bandaged hand in dismissal. "In fact, why do you know of such things? The artist specifically requested of my family to keep the piece a well-kept secret."
"I know about it because . . . he's family." Madison took in a breath, resolving herself to speak. This might be a terrible idea . . . but maybe . . . "Your Majesty, there are terrible secrets your family has. Maybe you know about them, maybe you don't. I'm not here to start an argument or a debate over them. All I care about is having my uncle be laid to rest after all these centuries."
"Are you saying someone killed a man and stuffed him like some sort of twisted display?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you."
The Queen scoffed, shaking her head. "No, I won't have it. You can say all you wish, but I know it is no such thing. It is a replication of what mermaids have appeared through tales of folklore and fantasy. Nothing more. And I do not wish to speak of this any further." The Queen turned, facing the window again and straightening herself, appearing done in talking for this day. "Now, tell your Doctor and his companion to ready yourselves in the foyer. I have to reward you all for your services today. I have a duty as a Queen to uphold, after all."
Gritting her teeth, Madison took a deep breath. Thinking carefully, she thought to hell with it. If she was going to finally find peace for her mother and her uncle today . . . Turning swiftly, she looked around the room for something. Seeing a vase of flowers on a table, she marched over and grabbed it, yanking out the flowers and tossing them aside. Going back over to the Queen, she stood there with vase in hand and heart pounding away in fear. But she pushed her fears down as she tipped the vase over and poured water all over her right hand.
"What are you doing?" the Queen asked, blinking confusion and frowning in disproval. "You're getting the carpet wet."
"I'm showing you what you need to see to believe me," Madison answered steadily, dropping the vase to the side once it was empty. She held up her hand then, showing it to Her Majesty. Queen Victoria gasped as she saw Madison's hand. The webbing between her fingers and the small patch of blue scales could be clearly seen.
"What . . . What are you?" the Queen breathed, backing away slightly in alarm.
"Don't worry. I'm not like the wolf. I'm not here to hurt you," Madison assured the woman, lowering her hand. "You see, I'm a Mermaid. Just like that Merman you have in your vaults."
"A mermaid? But that's not possible. There is no such thing—"
"Are you really going to say that after what you've witnessed here last night and just now seeing my hand?" Madison shook her head, annoyed once again with the denial. "I'm real. Mermaids are real. We've been very real for a very long time."
"How long? Did you come down in a shooting star as well?"
"No. We've lived beside humans for as long as humans have walked along this earth. We've just been in hiding." Madison waved a hand towards her legs. "As you can see, we can blend in very well with humans. Unless we get wet, of course." Seeing the look of suspicion from the Queen, Madison sighed. "Look, Your Majesty, I'm not here for throne takeover or anything of the sort. I'm just here travelling around and living my life. The same as anyone else. That's all mermaids have been doing for centuries. Just . . . trying to live their lives as best as they can. But . . . I'm the last of my kind now. There hasn't been a mermaid or merman around for centuries now. I'm all that's left."
"That Doctor and the child, they're not like you?"
"No. They're not like me." Seeing how the Queen stared at her hand warily, she wiped her hand quickly on her dress to dry it off, soon making it revert back to normal. "I just . . . I just want to put my uncle to rest. Please, ma'am, allow me to make this request. Take him and bury him somewhere. It doesn't even have to be a marked grave. Just lay him somewhere peaceful and give him that last decency. No one deserves to be put on display like that. Not anyone . . ." Madison saw the Queen thinking carefully then, her furrowed brow showed her deep in thought. Madison felt ready to beg then when the woman spoke once again.
"My Albert always spoke of such wondrous creatures out there in the world. I never believed him until today. To think that there are creatures out there such as yourself . . ." Queen Victoria gazed at her then, eyes growing soft. "Are you truly the last of your kind?"
"Yes," Madison breathed, feeling her eyes misting over as she saw the pity from the Queen.
". . . I couldn't even imagine what it must be like being the last of one's kind." Silent for a moment, the Queen stared off into the distant landscape outside of the estate. Then, she gazed back at Madison, nodding firmly. "I will see to your request. You have my word."
"Thank you," Madison sighed, feeling a weight lift from her chest. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"I think I do know. Very much so, I do." The Queen nodded towards the door then. "Go. Collect your Doctor and your companion. See to it that you're ready. I will be out shortly to give your reward."
Madison gave her a curtsy before leaving the room, her spirits a little lighter than before.
XxXxXxXxXx
To say she was surprised to be made Dame Madison of TARDIS would be an understatement. She couldn't wrap her mind around it as she kneeled in front of Queen Victoria and felt the metal tap of a sword on each shoulder. It felt like a very odd dream. To think she would ever be given such a title. Most people called her other names such as . . . well, best not repeat them, honestly. Oh, if her mother and father were still alive . . . Her mother would probably be irritated that Madison had even been around the Queen while her father would have been amused by it, finding it funny and ironic. If Madison was honest with herself, she found it rather uncomfortable. She didn't like the idea and thought to herself to keep that title only for this moment alone, never to be thought of again.
What didn't surprise her, however, was being banished not a moment later. Of course. Even after their conversation, the Queen seemed to appear firm in keeping things unwanted 'out of her world' as she had put it none too politely. It seemed, no matter what, nothing could change the Queen's mind. She was content to continue living in her world without other creatures from other worlds. Perhaps even . . . Madison felt her heart sink. Right. She had almost forgotten it. The name of this estate. Torchwood. It made sense now. After such tragedy and cruelty seen from other species in the world, of course, Queen Victoria would gain a distaste for anything nonhuman. It made sense.
"What's on your mind?"
Madison blinked out of her thoughts, looking at the two next to her. Currently, the Doctor, Rose, and she were in a cart being pulled by a horse and driven by a friendly farmer. The farmer had seen them walking down the dirt road towards the TARDIS and had offered them a ride to their destination. They accepted, of course. It had been such a long day and night for them. Even the Doctor appeared rather tired from the adventure they had. The Doctor and Rose sat at the edge of the cart, dangling their legs over the side as they rode across the land. Madison sat more inside the cart, near where the farmer's crates were. The Doctor stared at her curiously while Rose looked more concerned than anything.
"Is something wrong?" Rose asked her.
"Nothing. Just thinking," Madison told them. "It's sad, really, that, no matter what, some people can never accept others into their world. That they'll always hold mistrust and resentment to any that don't share their world."
"Some people just can't handle the idea of change. Or even of there being a grander world outside of theirs," the Doctor offered in thought, nodding as he understood Madison's sombre thoughts. "We can't always hope that they'll accept us. All we can hope is showing them that not everything outside their world is so bad." He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming sheepish then. "Though, I don't think I helped matters any. I think that banishment was mostly for me more than you two."
"No, it was probably me. I'm the one who pushed her to say 'I am not amused'," Rose sighed. But then she smirked, hitting the Doctor playfully. "Which you still owe me ten quid for."
"Yeah, yeah," muttered the Doctor, rolling his eyes. Madison shook her head in amusement briefly before growing a more serious expression.
"That's not just it, though. I do believe the Queen created Torchwood after this day," she said to them. "I can see her wanting to keep things out of 'her world' and in doing so she would need a secret organisation to help her in that endeavour. What better name to call this organisation than to use the name of the place where it all began?"
"Yeah," said the Doctor, sucking in a small breath through his teeth before releasing it in an exhaled puff. "I think you might be right."
"So . . . did we make Queen Victoria think she needed to create an evil, alien-hating group because of us?" Rose asked in alarm, appearing worried now.
"I don't think it's our fault, necessarily. Just more of there being too much all at once for her to take," Madison said thoughtfully. "I don't blame her for wanting to create something to protect her kingdom against outside enemy forces. Though I do blame her for creating something that started in resentment and grew into something just as cruel as those they fight against." Feeling nervous then, Madison shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "Actually, I may have pushed her over the edge towards the end."
"How's that?" the Doctor asked her curiously.
"I may have . . . showed her that I'm Mer," she told them, keeping her voice down now as she didn't want the farmer driving the cart to overhear her. Though the noise over the wheels of the cart masked most of what they were saying anyway.
"Why did you do that?" Rose asked in alarm, looking fearful for her friend now. The Doctor said nothing, only staring at her now with an unreadable expression.
"It was the only way to get her to agree to finally put the merman in the vaults at rest. She refused to believe me of him being a real person . . . so I got my hand wet and showed her my scales. I explained to her what I was and who that man had once been, to help her finally see the truth. After that, she promised me that she would bury him somewhere and lay him to rest," Madison explained, rubbing at her hand as she spoke.
". . . That might've not been the best idea, Madison," the Doctor said quietly, still giving her a steady gaze. "You shouldn't go around telling people like that your secret."
"Yeah, I mean, you barely even told us. What made you think telling her was a good idea?" agreed Rose.
Madison felt her stomach churn, knowing they were right. It had been a terrible idea. But . . . "I don't know. I think . . . old family sorrow may have clouded my judgement. I thought maybe it was the only way." She sighed, feeling like such a fool now.
"I could have thought of something else. I had even planned on trying to get in and get him for you," the Doctor said softly. He reached over, taking her hand. "It's fine. There's nothing that can be done about it now. I just hope it doesn't come back to hurt you."
"I don't think it will," Madison said, feeling somewhat confident by this statement. "The Queen may be many things after a day like this, but telling people that mermaids exist might be overstepping it, even for her." She then held a tight smile. "Besides, it's not like she'll ever tell anyone about that so-called 'cut' of hers." Seeing the questioning gazes of the Doctor and Rose, she gave a firm nod. "It wasn't any ordinary cut. I saw it close up myself. The piece of wood that went into her hand had saliva on it. Most likely from the wolf."
"Oh? Ooh. Oh! Ha! Brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed then, grinning away like a madman, eyes alight with realisation. He looked to the farmer then when they started to come up to the TARDIS. He asked for them to stop, making the farmer slow down enough for them to hop off and walk away as the cart continued onward.
"So? What's so 'brilliant'?" Rose asked, seeming eager to be in the loop of excitement.
"You see, Queen Victoria actually did suffer a mutation of the blood," he began explaining at a rapid pace as they strolled to the TARDIS. "It's historial 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."
"What, and you're saying that's a wolf's bite?" Rose responded, mouth gaping in shock.
"Or, in this case, some saliva transfer into an open wound," the Doctor said, brows arched high as he grinned at them. "Haemophilia could just be a Victorian euphemism."
"For werewolf?"
"Could be."
"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"
"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."
"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"
"Well, maybe not yet. I mean a single cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century."
Madison began to laugh, surprising the other two. She threw back her head, having a fit. "Oh, I can't believe it. I knew the nobility can act like a pack of wolves, but now they really are! Ha!"
"No . . . they couldn't be," Rose shook her head, trying to not believe it. But then she slowly started to think. "Mind you, Princess Anne . . . And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They—They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting. They love blood sports." As the Doctor opened the doors for them, Madison and him laughing, Rose's eyes went wide. "Oh, my god! They're werewolves!"
All three of them burst out into loud laughter, finding the revelation hilarious as they went into the ship and started off for the next adventure. The thoughts of secrets revealed and Torchwood discovered leaving them entirely.
Hope the chapter was a good one! Again, if you can, leave a review of your thoughts. Or if you have any adventures you'd love to see, let me know! I have a lot of ideas for Madison and I can't wait to try them out.
Until next time! Be safe out there!