Apologies for missing an update last week. Work has been very busy and my city went into full lockdown which killed my motivation like you would not believe. I am back now, though!
The Alabaster Lace
Rose finished writing the journal entry about her latest encounter with the Doctor and closed the journal with a thump. She had been back in London for three days already, but hadn't had time to write down the adventure of the Saffron Span until now. The explanation to Miranda had taken a while, and then they had returned to London as the Michaelmas Term came to an end. Once back in London, Rose had been busy unpacking in her room at Miranda's townhouse, and then visiting her mum, Mickey, Shareen and River at various points, leaving her with virtually no free time.
She glanced at the time and frowned. She had work in an hour, so she put her journal away and grabbed her satchel before going downstairs. Miranda was in the kitchen with a large mug of coffee and a table full of papers filled with complex equations that might as well have been in an alien language for all the sense they made to Rose. Miranda waved absently without looking up as Rose called out a good morning.
"Got any plans for the day?" asked Rose, as she poured herself some coffee.
Miranda shrugged lightly. "Your mother invited me to go Christmas shopping with her," she said, unable to help the small smile on her face.
Rose hid her smile in her cup of coffee. She had introduced Miranda to her mother and Jackie had immediately taken a liking to her. Upon learning Miranda had recently lost her parents, Jackie had invited Miranda to spend Christmas with them, and taken it upon herself to mother the poor girl. Rose would have almost felt bad, except Miranda seemed quite delighted by the turn of events and it took Jackie's attention off of Rose. Not completely, of course, but it was divided between her and Miranda. Rose supposed this is what it was like to have siblings.
"Have fun," said Rose. "Don't let her bully you into staying out longer than you feel comfortable."
"I don't mind," said Miranda, and she could tell from her face that she meant it. "Are you going to work soon?"
"Yes," said Rose, finishing her coffee. "If you're still in town when I'm done, let me know. I've yet to introduce you to River, so we could go out for drinks."
Miranda nodded eagerly. "I would like that," she said.
"Great," grinned Rose, as she put her cup in the sink. "See you later."
"Bye," waved Miranda, as Rose left the little Edwardian townhouse and walked up the street to catch the bus to Luna Detective Agency.
River was busy sorting through a pile of mail when Rose arrived. "Morning," greeted Rose. "Anything interesting?"
"Nothing so far," said River, tossing it to the side. "Some bills and junk mail." She smiled at Rose. "Are you settled in yet?"
"Yeah, as much as I can be," said Rose. "I thought it'd be weird living in a new place but it's nice. I'm ready to work now, though."
River grinned. "Excellent," she said, and then opened a drawer to pull out a little black envelope. "Our first assignment."
"What is it?" asked Rose with interest. River handed her the envelope and Rose admired the obviously expensive envelope and opened it to find an invitation. "A masquerade ball?"
River nodded. "Lady Clement is a widow and she has donated generously to my most recent expedition," she said. "I am obligated to attend but I thought you'd enjoy it. It's on the day before Christmas Eve so it shouldn't interrupt any of your plans with your mum."
"You don't have to convince me," said Rose, noting the event was to be held at the Great Hall in the Queen's House. Rose had never been there, of course, but knew it was one of the best venues in town. "Not sure if I have anything appropriate to wear, though," she added, noting it was a black tie affair.
"I'll be hiring a gown for the occasion and I'm sure you can do the same," said River, and Rose nodded. She could afford to spend some of her savings, now that she didn't have to worry too much about paying for university.
"Not that I'm not excited but this isn't technically work, is it?" asked Rose.
River gave her a slightly exasperated look. "You are allowed to take time for yourself and enjoy it, you know," she said. "From the sound of things, your first term at Oxford was anything but relaxing."
Rose inclined her head in agreement. "What are your plans for Christmas, River?" she decided to ask instead of rehashing her first term at Oxford. She had given River the basics, including the second meeting with the Doctor, though she had not mentioned the Butterflies to anyone yet, not even River or Miranda.
"I'm visiting my parents," answered River, and Rose nodded. It was what River had done for past Christmases too. River's parents were apparently living in New York, and despite the fact that River didn't say much about them, Rose always got the distinct impression she was quite close to her parents. "We'll close the shop on the 22nd and reopen after New Years'."
Rose nodded again. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked.
River smiled and nodded toward the back room. "Artefacts from my latest expeditions need authenticating," she said. "Would you like to join me?"
Rose grinned. "Of course I would," she said. "As if you even need to ask."
River supposed there were certain disadvantages to being a time traveller. For one, you never quite met people in the right order, especially if the people she met were time travellers as well. Unfortunately for River, her life was filled with them.
So she could not be blamed if it occasionally caught her off-guard. Meeting people in the wrong order, that is.
She still remembered the first time she had met Rose Tyler and the first time Rose Tyler had met her. Two separate events, of course, but no less memorable.
It was jarring to meet someone for the first time when you had known them for so long. River wasn't sure how careful she had managed to be with her expressions when a sixteen-year old Rose Tyler had walked through the doors of her shop, but given the time that had passed since then, River could at least feel that she had not tripped up too badly and even if she had, Rose had not noticed.
So the day River met Miranda Dawkins, she knew she had to be just as careful. Miranda looked younger than River had ever seen her, and her curly blonde hair was only at shoulder-length instead of the flowing hair River remembered. There was a certain youthfulness in her features but more importantly, her eyes were bright and new, unburdened by the responsibilities she would carry one day.
It was sad, really, thought River as she sat across from Rose and Miranda at a little bar in Piccadilly, watching someone when they were so young and unaware of things to come.
"That's a beautiful ring," said River, realising she had been silent a moment too long.
Miranda followed her gaze and smiled down at the sapphire ring on her finger. "Thank you," she said. "My...mother gave it to me."
That would make sense, thought River as she took a sip of her drink instead of saying something. Overprotective lot, those parents of hers. She dearly longed to examine the ring further, to work out exactly what it was. Especially considering the fact that the Doctor had come face to face with Miranda at Oxford and hadn't realised…
"Another round?" asked Rose, and River quickly finished her drink before nodding.
Rose grinned at them and left the table. River forced herself to adopt a neutral smile as she turned to Miranda.
"How are you finding Oxford, Miranda?" she asked.
"What are you?"
River blinked at the blunt question from Miranda. Her eyes were locked onto River's, and despite the youthfulness she had previously observed, it was currently nowhere to be found. Miranda looked...well, she looked like the way River remembered her.
Strong, unyielding, powerful...a force unparalleled in the universe.
River forced herself to take a breath. "I have to be careful," she said, instead.
Miranda's eyes turned hard as steel. "I am not a fool," she said, her tone sharp. "I know exactly how careful I have to be as well."
River looked suitably chastised. "I know, I didn't mean to imply…" she began but then shut her mouth. "I am sorry, Miranda."
Miranda's demeanour softened and she glanced toward the bar, probably to make sure Rose was still far enough away. "Whose orders are you following?" she demanded, in a low, furious voice.
River took a deep breath. "Your mother's," she said.
Miranda seemed to deflate at that. "And how do I know you to be telling the truth?" she asked.
"You don't," said River, honestly. "But I believe my actions speak louder than words."
Miranda looked annoyed but didn't argue the point. "Is she...are they…?" She stopped and took a breath before continuing. "They are alive?"
"Here we are!"
River blinked and turned to smile at Rose as she set three glasses down on the little table. How she had managed to carry all three, she had no idea.
"What's with the sombre faces?" laughed Rose, as she looked at them.
"Nothing, just talking about university," said River, smoothly. She chanced a glance at Miranda who seemed to withdraw back into that young girl as she smiled gratefully at Rose for the drink. River took a sip of her own drink and realised she didn't envy Miranda's position. It was difficult for River, of course, but Miranda's situation was far different.
"What drink is this?" asked Miranda, looking at Rose with bright, curious eyes.
At least some things didn't change, thought River, as Rose described what an espresso martini was.
"How was shopping with my mother?" asked Rose, smiling at Miranda with apparent sympathy.
"It was fun," nodded Miranda, and River could see she was being sincere. "Jackie is...not what I imagined and she is very nice."
River sipped her drink to avoid doing something embarrassing like snorting out loud.
"That's good that you think that," laughed Rose. "If only it were true."
River didn't participate much in conversation that evening, content to sip her drink and watch Rose and Miranda converse with a familiar ease. After a while, River found herself wishing it was over soon, because she could not bear it any longer. She wanted to be able to speak with them without having to hold herself back, and it was not easy.
As if Miranda had known what she was thinking, she let out a huge yawn. Immediately, Rose said they should call it a night and River couldn't help but smile gratefully at Miranda. She knew Miranda had to have done it on purpose, because of, well, the obvious.
Out in the cold night air, River took a moment to let the chill seep into her bones to wash away the stuffiness of the crowded bar. Rose was hailing a cab and River thought she ought to assist her, but Miranda gave her a look meant to say she wanted to continue their conversation from before.
"You know my mother well?" asked Miranda, keeping her voice low so that Rose couldn't hear it.
River nodded. "And your father too," she said.
"And me?" asked Miranda.
River sighed before answering. "Not as well as I know your parents," she said, truthfully.
"But you know who I am," insisted Miranda.
"Yes," said River, as a cab stopped in front of Rose. Rose grinned triumphantly and beckoned them.
"You won't say anything." Miranda's parting words made River shiver and not because of the cold. It wasn't a request or even an observation. Miranda's words had been an order; plain and simple, befitting her mantle.
"Of course," murmured River, as she followed after her toward Rose. "Your Eminence."
Rose supposed she was unsurprised things turned out this way. A fancy masquerade ball sounded all well and good but it was just so...boring. She certainly felt pretty enough in a strapless silver gown with a sparkling sequined bodice and a full-length gauzy skirt, as well as the carved metal mask in silver, but the entire party was full of posh stuffed shirts and entirely too glamorous women. The conversations were so completely out of Rose's wheelhouse that she had found a nice corner with a glass of champagne and was content to listen to the orchestral music and watch various people on the dancefloor.
"Rose," said River, as she walked up to her. "There you are. Come, let me introduce you to the hostess."
Rose forced a smile on her face and went with River who led her to a dark-haired middle-aged woman in a beautiful royal blue gown with a mask of peacock feathers on her face. Standing beside her was a younger woman with strawberry blonde hair in a severe dress of black velvet with a high collar and full sleeves, and a plain white mask around her eyes.
"Lady Clement, this is my employee, Miss Rose Tyler," said River, addressing the woman in blue. "She is on break from Oxford."
"Oh, how lovely," said Lady Clement, with a wide smile. "How do you do, Miss Tyler?"
"Very well, thank you," said Rose, politely.
"This is my daughter, Helene," said Lady Clement, nodding toward the woman in black.
"Stepdaughter, actually," corrected Helene. "But Rosalind has been the only mother I have known." Lady Clement smiled warmly at Helene and Rose rather thought Helene's smile had been equally as warm. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Tyler. Please enjoy the party."
"Thank you," smiled Rose.
"You must excuse us," said Helene, smiling as she saw someone past Rose's shoulder. "It's Eva and Jonah," she told Lady Clement. "We should go say hello."
Lady Clement's smile turned pinched but she nodded. "Excuse us, please," she said, as she and Helene went over to a woman who had strawberry blonde hair identical to Helene's, but she was dressed in a light lavender gown with a mask of plain white. Helene went over and gave her a hug and then hugged the man in the tuxedo next to her, while Lady Clement gave them both a slightly forced smile.
"Pardon me."
Rose's attention was diverted as a man in a tuxedo wearing a beautiful gold mask approached River and held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?" he asked her.
River glanced at Rose, but Rose just smiled. "Don't mind me," said Rose, holding up the nearly empty glass of champagne in her hand. "I'm just going to get another drink."
"Alright," said River, and then placed her hand in the man's hand so he could lead her to the dancefloor.
Rose finished her drink and walked over to one of the tables by the wall to get another one. She caught a flash of forest green swinging past on the dancefloor and sighed. River blended in with this posh crowd so easily that Rose couldn't help but envy her.
It wasn't often that Rose felt out of place but she certainly did with this crowd. Most of the people here were not too different from people she knew at Oxford but Rose hadn't had trouble fitting into Oxford. Oxford was so vast and varied that she supposed everyone carved out a place for themselves. She was grateful for that, at the very least. Rose sighed again and finished the glass of champagne, faster than she probably should have.
She had to learn this, she supposed. A life of academia was all well and good but Rose knew she wanted to be able to have her own adventures and go on her own expeditions, and be able to handle the social aspects of mingling with different crowds. There was no point in being a wallflower, if she wanted to be a respected professional in her field someday.
One of the waiters stopped in front of her and held out his tray. Rose placed her empty glass on the tray absently, still lost in her thoughts.
"Could I fetch you some hors d'oeuvres, Miss?" he asked, his voice smooth and devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
"No, thanks," said Rose, having lost her appetite.
"Very well, Miss," he said, and turned to leave. Rose fidgeted with her mask, hissing slightly when she cut her finger on the pointy metal edge of the mask. She looked at her finger and noticed the tiny bead of blood. Before she could even put her finger in her mouth, she suddenly realised that it had gone entirely silent.
Rose looked up and gasped out loud in shock when she noticed that the entire ballroom had frozen in time. The dancers were still mid-swing, people were frozen mid-conversation, and the music had stopped entirely.
"Where is it?"
Rose jumped as the waiter from earlier, apparently the only one apart from Rose not frozen in time, was looking around. What shocked her even more though, was that he looked excited rather than scared or shocked. His eyes fell on Rose and then he noticed her bleeding finger.
"Oh," he frowned, and rolled his eyes. "False alarm, I guess."
Rose gaped at him. "W-what?" was the only thing she could say.
"I jumped the metaphorical gun," he said, pouting dramatically. "Oh well," he shrugged. He clicked his fingers, and the ballroom was in motion once again. "See you around."
Rose blinked a few times and then took off after him. "Hang on," she said, grabbing his elbow.
He stopped and gave her a slightly irritated look. "Oh, right," he said. "Should have dealt with your memory."
"What are you?" asked Rose, ignoring the last part.
He sighed, looking very annoyed. "Even if I were to tell you, it's not like you would understand," he said.
"Try me," said Rose.
He rolled his eyes again but then gave Rose a thoughtful look. She hadn't really noticed his appearance before, but she realised he was of Asian descent, at least 6 feet tall, lean and with neatly cut black hair. His eyes, however, were an unusual shade of grey, almost silver. Like the rest of the waiters, he was wearing a plain black mask covering his eyes.
Rose realised he was also observing her as she was him. Whatever he saw, made the corners of his lips tilt up into a small smile.
"I suppose you will understand," he said.
"Wh-what…?" Rose started to ask but he took off his mask and stuffed it into his trouser pockets.
"I am known as Euphoria," he said. "It is one of the many names I carry, but I think it is the most apt one for me," he added, with a bright beaming smile, and Rose was taken aback at the genuineness of the smile. He did have a very strikingly handsome face with high cheekbones, and the unusual colour of his eyes suited his face well. "Lower beings such as you hardly even notice me."
"Who are you calling a lower being?" demanded Rose indignantly, forgetting momentarily that the being before her could literally stop time.
He looked a bit confused. "Oh, I meant no offence," he said. "All beings are considered lower than where my kind fall in the hierarchy of the universe. There is only one above us, and I trust you are not one of the Guardians."
Rose had no idea what a Guardian was, but what caught her off guard was that Euphoria wasn't saying it like he was bragging; rather like it was a fact.
"So what exactly is your kind?" asked Rose.
He smiled a little. "I am an Eternal," he said. "We are the oldest beings in the universe, the first ones to come into existence before the universe was even created."
Rose looked for signs of deception, but there weren't any. Euphoria had relayed the information like it was fact, devoid of any embellishment or boastfulness. "Why?" she asked, finally.
"Hmm?" he asked, confused.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Oh, right," he said. "That's a good question. How's your finger?"
Before Rose could blink, he grabbed her hand and blew lightly on her finger. Rose watched in astonishment as the little cut healed instantly, not even leaving a scar behind. Rose glanced around quickly to see if anyone had noticed but no one was paying attention to them.
Euphoria smiled and released her hand. "I am here, because there is to be a murder here tonight," he said.
Rose raised her eyes to his, but like before, he had said it like it was a fact. "What?" she asked. "Who's going to be killed?"
"I don't know, that is the fun part," he said, and he looked excited again.
"How is that fun?" demanded Rose. "We have to stop it."
"Ah, can't do that," he shrugged. "I observe. I do not meddle."
"So you're here to just watch a murder?" asked Rose.
"I am here to solve a murder," he corrected.
"Why?" asked Rose.
"Curiosity, boredom, take a pick," he shrugged.
"Fine, I'll stop it then," said Rose.
"You could try but do you think I would have any trouble stopping you?" he asked, and smiled because Rose knew she had no answer to that. "What's your name?"
"Rose," she said. "Rose Tyler."
To her surprise, he suddenly leaned down toward her and inhaled deeply. His eyes fell shut and he chuckled as he opened them and leaned back.
"You smell like a wolf, Rose Tyler," he said.
"I do not smell like…" she paused and stared at him. "Why would you say that?"
Euphoria smiled secretively. "You don't think I blurt out my secrets to just anyone, do you?" he asked, and then chuckled again. "I'll answer your questions, if you agree to help me."
"Help you?" she asked. "To solve a murder?"
"Yes," he said. Just then, the world around them froze once again. Euphoria looked around with excitement. "Do you see it?" he asked.
Rose glanced around absently and noticed Lady Clement, without her mask on, with an annoyed expression on her face as she was led to the dancefloor by the man who had been with Eva. She couldn't see Eva or Helene, though. "See what?" she asked Euphoria.
"Blood," he said. "I put in a personal alarm of sorts."
Rose supposed that was why time had stopped when she had cut her finger. She glanced around the massive hall to see if anyone else was bleeding.
"There!" she said, grabbing Euphoria's sleeve.
He followed her gaze and frowned dramatically as one of the waitresses was holding a broken glass and stymying the flow of blood from a cut on her hand. She looked shocked when she saw that everyone was frozen but before Rose could blink, Euphoria had appeared at her side and whispered something to her. The waitress seemed to blink and then time started back up again. The waitress seemed to shake her head before going on her way, no longer bewildered.
"You wiped her memory?" hissed Rose, when Euphoria returned to her side.
"Of course," he said, like it was obvious. "Like I said, I don't blurt out my secrets to just anyone."
Rose had a lot she wanted to say to that but all the lights suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness.
"Interesting," she heard Euphoria murmur amidst the chaos of everyone else's confusion. She felt rather than saw time freezing again at the same moment that the lights came back on, and she had to clap a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
Right in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by frozen partygoers, was the body of Lady Clement, a knife stuck into her back and a length of alabaster lace fashioned into a blindfold around her eyes.
Time started to move again and chaos erupted around the ballroom at the gruesome sight. Rose saw Helene, without her mask on, as she stared down at the body in horror, while Eva was practically in hysterics as she pushed her way through the crowd. She collapsed into the man who had been with her before, and he held her in his arms to keep her on her feet, his face grim.
"Explain to me why you didn't keep time frozen so we could have investigated," Rose hissed to Euphoria.
"It takes an enormous amount of strength to hold back the flow of time, even for someone like me," said Euphoria. "Rest assured, though, it will not stop us from investigating."
Before Rose could ask how, a man in the crowd whistled sharply and brought everyone's attention to him. "Everyone, please calm down," he said, and held up a badge that he had seemingly produced out of nowhere. "I am Inspector Lee of Scotland Yard. Please remain where you are."
The outright chaos ceased, though there were murmurs and whispers as all eyes turned to him, including Rose's.
"I have notified my team and ordered security to lock the place down," said Inspector Lee.
"Why?" asked a nearby guest, one of the entirely too self-important ones, judging by the look on his face.
The Inspector held his gaze as he walked toward Lady Clement's body.
"The blood is still fresh," he said, glancing down at the body briefly. "Whoever killed her, is more than likely still here. So until I find out who did this, no one leaves."
"He is one of mine," Euphoria whispered to Rose.
"What does that mean?" asked Rose, looking between Euphoria and Inspector Lee. "Is he an Eternal as well?"
"Of course not, he is an ephemeral," said Euphoria. "But I needed someone who would keep the guests in control with an official investigation while I do some investigating of my own."
"How is he-?" Rose started to ask but then frowned as she turned to Euphoria. "Are you controlling him?"
"Minor hypnosis," said Euphoria, appearing unbothered. "He actually is an Inspector from the Yard. Couldn't believe his luck when he was invited to this event. It's quite above his pay grade, as one might say."
It irked her how he talked about people like they were convenient little dolls that he could position in his play. "If you can do that, then why can't you just hypnotise the killer to confess?" she hissed, without bothering to hide her glare.
Euphoria smiled down at her, an amused gesture full of condescension. "Where is the fun in that?" He grabbed Rose's hand. "Come on."
Rose glared at his back as he pulled her along, while Inspector Lee started ordering security around to separate the guests and clear the crime scene. Euphoria pulled her right up to the body and she swallowed back a wave of revulsion.
"Keep the other ephemerals occupied," Euphoria ordered, and Inspector Lee nodded. "Miss Tyler and I need the room."
Rose saw River in the crowd, who had pulled off her mask and was looking at Rose in concern. Rose just shook her head, warning her not to interfere. She half-expected River to refuse, but then she nodded and let herself be led away along with the other guests, as the main hall was cleared of everyone, including Inspector Lee and security, leaving only Rose and Euphoria with Lady Clement's body.
Euphoria knelt next to the body and observed it with a frown. "Quite a brutal attack," he murmured. "But there's no hesitation. It was a single stab wound, straight to the heart, that killed the victim."
"Rosalind," said Rose.
"What?" he asked.
"Not 'victim'. Her name was Rosalind Clement," she snapped.
Euphoria looked a bit confused. "I know that," he said.
"Never mind," said Rose, shaking her head. She crossed her arms and frowned at Euphoria as he continued to examine the body. "Are all Eternals like you?"
"Hmm, no," he answered, absently. "I am considered faulty by most of my kind."
"Why?" asked Rose.
He glanced up at her and smiled. "Because I am able to express emotions like ephemerals," he said.
Rose just stared at him. If he was the faulty one because of the way he expressed emotions, she never wanted to know what kind of unemotional beings the rest of the Eternals were.
"So, are you an alien?" she asked, still determined to know more.
"Yes and no," he said.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"I am not of this planet, but my kind originated before any planets were ever created so we are aliens to all worlds, but not," he explained, and then frowned at the body. "The lights weren't off long enough for her to be killed and then to be blindfolded with lace."
Rose knew that was true; the lights had only been off for a few seconds. "Not to mention, the blindfold is tied wrong," she said, which was something that had been bothering her since she had seen the body.
"How so?" asked Euphoria.
"It's knotted at the front, not the back," she pointed out, and then frowned as she knelt down as well. "What if it happened at the same time?" she asked, as a picture started to form in her mind. "Her being killed and blindfolded, I mean," she clarified, when Euphoria looked confused.
"It's possible," he said. "But that means…"
"There were two people who did this," said Rose, meeting his gaze. "One who stabbed her from behind and the other who blindfolded her at the same time."
"Or, there were three," said Euphoria.
"Three?" asked Rose. "Who is the third one?"
"The one who turned out the lights," he said, like it was obvious.
"Right," said Rose. "Do you know much about Lady Clement's family?"
"Give me a moment," he said, and closed his eyes. About five seconds passed and he opened his eyes with a frown. "What do you want to know?"
"What did you just do?" asked Rose, much more curious about that rather than the murder mystery.
"Simply speaking, I downloaded the entire history of her family into my conscious mind," he said.
"And that is something you can just do?" asked Rose.
"The knowledge of the entire universe, past, present and future is embedded within all of my kind. I only have to choose to access it," he shrugged. When Rose just continued to gape at him, he smiled sardonically. "Terribly dull, isn't it? I can even find out who killed her, but I stopped myself before I discovered that."
"So you just know everything?" asked Rose, still shocked.
"Well, yes," he said. "Not consciously, unless I choose to. And of course, things are not set in stone, so it's a constantly changing repository of knowledge. I was not bragging when I said my kind were at the very top of the hierarchy of the universe, below only the Guardians."
"So who are the Guardians, exactly?" asked Rose.
Euphoria gave her a contemplative look before sighing. "To explain it in a way that you would understand," he began. "...we need to start at the origin of this universe."
"This universe?" asked Rose, picking up on it immediately, "As opposed to what? Parallel universes?"
"Yes and no," he said. "Parallel universes are a bit of a misnomer. This universe is known as N-Space. It was created by an event that people of your time call the Big Bang. There are countless parallel universes in N-Space and often only beings of a higher consciousness like us or the Guardians, or some advanced species with the right technology, are able to traverse between the universe of N-Space. Are you with me so far?"
"Yes," nodded Rose.
Euphoria nodded back. "Then, apart from N-Space, there is E-Space. It's roughly the same size as N-Space and has parallel universes of its own. And then there are pocket dimensions, quite a few of them as a matter of fact." He smiled indulgently at Rose before shaking his head. "My point is, the universe as you view it is a much more complex entity than you may imagine."
"Yeah, I'm getting that," said Rose, feeling a bit lightheaded.
"Mind you, N-Space and E-Space were both created by the Big Bang but they are relatively new compared to some of the pocket dimensions," he explained. "Most pocket dimensions are relatively basic, indistinguishable from N-Space and E-Space."
"But not all of them?" guessed Rose.
"Exactly," said Euphoria. "There are certain dimensions that are older and much more complex with beings of great power."
Rose stared at him. "So I guess you are one of them."
"I am," he said. "My kind, the Eternals, came from a pocket dimension. We were brought into N-Space, or rather the space that existed before the N-Space came into creation, by the Guardians. My kind are unclear on how they achieved such a feat because the dimension of the Eternals was sealed off." He sighed again. "There are those among my kind who revere the Guardians as deities or gods."
"But you don't?" asked Rose.
"I believe them to possess more knowledge than my kind," he said, plainly. "But I do not believe them to be superior as a result." He smiled wryly. "I am the exception, though, and an unpopular one at that."
Rose didn't know what to say to that, but Euphoria shrugged and continued before she could think of something.
"Anyway, when my kind was brought over to N-Space, it was nothing. We whiled away several millennia away as beings of consciousness before the Big Bang set creation into motion," explained Euphoria. "It was quite exciting for a while, I must admit. Watching new stars being born, planets being created, new species coming into existence...it was the greatest show." He smiled a little. "For a time. Then, it got routine. Ordinary. Once you have seen one star die, you have seen them all. And so my kind became afflicted with it."
"Afflicted with what?" asked Rose.
"Apathy," said Euphoria, like it was obvious.
"But not you?" asked Rose.
"Oh no, I am quite apathetic too," he said. "The difference is that while I am apathetic, that is not all I am. Most of my kind, on the other hand, do not experience any emotion but apathy. The only time they can experience anything, is through ephemerals." He shook his head again. "My point being, I have been around for a long time and my kind has evolved far beyond this universe ever will. And yet the Guardians seem to outdo us. There's not even very many of them."
"How many of them are there?" asked Rose.
"Six," he said. "Can you imagine that? The most powerful beings in existence but there are only six of them. There are a few millions of us Eternals, but only six Guardians." At Rose's wide-eyed look, he smirked. "My kind is immortal and we do not propagate. But I digress. Shall we return to the investigation at hand?"
"Right," said Rose, having nearly forgotten about it.
Euphoria smiled in a way that might almost be considered kind. "This whole conversation began because you asked if I knew about Lady Clement's family."
"Yes," said Rose, remembering her original question. "I saw her on the dancefloor with this man. She has a stepdaughter, right? Helene?"
"Yes, and her twin, Evangeline," said Euphoria.
Rose nodded, having suspected that part. "Is Eva married?" she asked.
"Yes, to Mr Jonah Calverley," said Euphoria. "Why does it matter?"
"Because I think that might be the man she was dancing with when she was killed," said Rose.
Euphoria gave her a contemplative look once more. "That is easily verified," he said, and Inspector Lee walked in as if summoned (which he probably was). "Get the victim's family. The two step-daughters and the husband of one of them. Keep them separated, though."
"Very well," said Inspector Lee, and left.
"Who do you think we should speak to first?" asked Euphoria.
Rose thought about what she had seen when the lights had come back on. "Eva," she said. "Let's talk to Eva first."
Evangeline Calverley nee Clement didn't strike Rose as a murderer. She was highly distraught, for one, and the other reason being Rose had seen her push her way through the crowd and sobbing once she had seen Lady Clement's body, which meant she hadn't been near the body.
"So, Rosalind raised you and your sister?" asked Rose, keeping her voice gentle.
Eva nodded. "Our father died when Helene and I were four, only a year after he had married Rosalind. So, she was our mother all our life. She even gave us her last name," she said, tears filling her eyes.
"Did Rosalind have any other children?" asked Rose.
"No, just me and Helene," said Eva. "She always said that we are all that she needed." Eva burst into tears again and Rose patted her shoulder in comfort.
"Did you see what happened?" asked Euphoria.
Eva shook her head. "I wasn't in the ballroom. I was coming back from telling the staff about turning the lights off," she said.
Rose glanced at Euphoria, who looked as confused as she felt. "You told the staff to turn the lights out?" she asked.
Eva nodded. "This was Rosalind's tenth annual ball," she sobbed. "Helene and I had planned a surprise for her. We got one of her favourite voiceover artists to give her a congratulatory message which would play over the sound system. The lights were supposed to go down and a spotlight was to appear on Rosalind…" Eva dissolved into tears again.
"We'll give you a moment," Euphoria told Eva, grabbing Rose's elbow and leading her away slightly. "Well?"
"What?" asked Rose, in a whisper. "I believe her."
"I do, too," said Euphoria.
"I did notice something weird, though," said Rose. "Lady Clement was perfectly pleasant to Helene but she seemed almost tense toward Eva."
Euphoria glanced at the sobbing Eva, and nodded at Rose as they returned to Eva.
"Eva, were things alright between you and Rosalind?" asked Euphoria.
Eva's brow wrinkled. "Of course," she said.
"What about Rosalind and your husband?" asked Rose.
"Jonah?" asked Eva, surprised. "Jonah loved Rosalind."
"But Rosalind didn't like him, did she?" asked Rose, shrewdly.
Eva glanced away and swallowed before nodding. "I don't know why," she said. "She did, at first. But then earlier this year, she suddenly started giving him the cold shoulder."
"Did you ask her why?" asked Euphoria.
"I did," nodded Eva. "She wouldn't tell me. Jonah didn't know either. She kept denying she was treating him any differently than she was before."
"What did Helene think of it?" asked Rose.
"She tried to ask Rosalind but didn't get a different response," said Eva. "But I know Helene said she wouldn't give up until she found the answer." Eva smiled a little. "My sister's a little hardheaded, if you didn't know."
Rose glanced at Euphoria and knew they were thinking the same thing. Maybe Helene had found the answer.
"Was Helene with you when you were getting the lights turned off?" asked Rose.
"No, she was talking Rosalind into dancing with Jonah. She's never given up on getting Rosalind to reconcile with him," said Eva.
"Thank you," said Euphoria, and then nodded at Inspector Lee, who led Eva out again. "What do you think?"
"I think Helene and Jonah may have killed Lady Clement," said Rose, in a low voice.
"Yes, that is becoming more and more likely," said Euphoria. "Eva might have just been an unwitting pawn."
"But why? Helene seemed just fine when I saw her with Lady Clement. Why would she and Jonah snap and kill her in the middle of the ball?" asked Rose. "Unless…"
"Unless?" he asked.
"Unless Helene found out what it was that caused Lady Clement to suddenly dislike Jonah," said Rose.
Euphoria frowned as he considered it. "It's certainly possible, I mean Lady Clement had a lot of secrets," he said.
Rose blinked at him. "Right, you downloaded her entire history into your brain," she said. "So, you must know what caused her to hate Jonah."
Euphoria thought about it for a moment and then sighed mournfully. "Yes," he said. "And based on what Eva said, it fits." When he didn't say anything further, Rose just stared at him.
"Aren't you going to share?" she asked.
"Of course not," he said, as if it was obvious. "I know the reason but you don't. I want you to find out."
"Why?" asked Rose.
"Haven't you been listening to anything I have been saying?" he asked. "My kind are apathetic. The only breaks in the monotony of our existence are the interactions we have through or with ephemerals. I came here to solve a murder but solving it by following your lead has been the most enjoyable part of it." Rose blushed, but Euphoria didn't even blink at his own words, speaking them as if they were facts. And perhaps they were for him, in whatever way he processed emotions.
"So you want me to solve this murder?" she asked.
Euphoria nodded. "Exactly," he said, bluntly. "I'll let you take the lead."
"Fine," said Rose, wanting to get to the bottom of this. "I want to talk to Jonah then."
Euphoria grinned at her and a moment later, Inspector Lee led Jonah Calverley into the room.
He was a handsome man, and his face was completely calm. "Could we hurry this up?" he asked, crossing his arms. "I want to return to my wife."
"You were dancing with Lady Clement when the lights went out, weren't you?" she asked. "Did you see or hear anything?"
"No," he said. "I released Rosalind when the lights went out and as you know, everyone had started panicking so I didn't hear anything either."
"But you didn't even register someone stabbing and blindfolding her?" persisted Rose.
"Like I said," said Jonah, narrowing his eyes at her. "I don't know what happened. It was dark and chaotic. Someone must have slipped past me and killed her."
"Do you know why she suddenly started disliking you?" asked Rose.
Jonah blinked but then shook his head. "I have no idea," he said.
"But you don't seem broken up over her death," said Rose.
Jonah looked irritated, more than anything. "I was a bit sick of being treated like something she had found stuck to the bottom of her shoe, yes, especially considering I hadn't done anything to offend her," he said. "But mostly I was annoyed because it upset Eva."
Rose glanced at Euphoria, knowing she was a bit stuck if all Jonah would do is deny he had anything to do with it. Euphoria just smiled at her and Rose knew he was waiting for her to find a way through.
Jonah evidently was done waiting. "If that's all, then," he said.
"Wait," said Rose, and turned to Euphoria. "Can you ask Inspector Lee to bring Eva and Helene in here as well?"
Euphoria nodded, and a moment later, Inspector Lee walked in with the twins in tow. Jonah immediately moved toward Eva and put an arm around her shoulder.
"What is the point of questioning us?" asked Helene, crossing her arms. "Clearly none of us harmed Rosalind."
Rose racked her brains, wondering what would throw them off. It suddenly occurred to her and she smiled apologetically at Helene. "I know," she said. "But I thought it might be easier to get things out in the open now."
Helene's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? Get what out in the open?" she asked.
"How long have you and Jonah been having an affair?" asked Rose.
Jonah reared back in shock, as did Helene, while Eva just looked confused.
"I beg your pardon?" thundered Jonah. "What kind of a man do you think I am?"
"The kind who has an affair with his wife's twin," said Rose, unflinchingly, as Helene just gaped at her.
"That's not true," protested Eva. "They would never…" she paused and looked between Helene and Jonah. "It's not true, is it?"
"Of course it isn't," said Helene.
"Was that it?" persisted Rose. "Did Lady Clement find out, and you both killed her to keep it quiet?" Jonah looked too furious to speak, as did Helene, and Rose seized the chance since it was the first time Jonah seemed to be expressing a genuine emotion. "It really explains it, you know. Lady Clement was a kind, generous woman who raised daughters who weren't hers with all the love and affection they would need. And then someone like you comes along to destroy the lives of her daughters. No wonder a wonderful woman like Rosalind couldn't stand you."
"You shut your mouth, you little bitch!" snarled Jonah. "What the fuck do you know about the kind of woman Rosalind was? Kind and generous, don't make me laugh! She was an evil, conniving woman."
"Jonah!" gasped Eva, staring at him in horror. "W-what are you saying?" She looked between her sister and Jonah again. "Tell me you didn't do anything to Rosalind."
"They can't," said Rose, when Jonah just glared at her angrily while Helene glanced away from Eva. "Because they killed her."
Jonah seemed to collect himself and glared down at Rose. "Whoever killed her did the world a favour. But it wasn't any of us. And you can't prove that it was, so I am done talking to you."
So close, thought Rose, as her mind raced furiously. "Eva," she blurted out. "Don't you want to know the truth?"
"Eva, Helene, we're leaving," ordered Jonah, but Eva shook his arm away.
"Tell me the truth," she said. "Helene."
Helene looked miserable but at her sister's imploring tone, she took a deep breath. "Eva…"
"No," said Eva, tears filling her eyes.
"We're not having an affair, I promise you," said Helene, and sounded honest as she said it. Considering Rose had said it to cause friction between them, she wasn't too surprised that it wasn't true. "But…"
"Helene, shut your mouth," snarled Jonah.
Helene's lip trembled but she glared defiantly at Jonah. "You don't tell me what to do," she said. "I didn't…I didn't know…"
Jonah swelled furiously. "Didn't know what? You were the one who dug up the past when it should have stayed buried. It was your fault!"
"Helene, tell me what happened," demanded Eva.
Helene inhaled and looked down. "I found out why Rosalind started treating Jonah differently," she said. "Dad and Rosalind were friends when Dad and Mum were married. A year after we were born, Dad found out that Mum was having an affair when he walked in on her and her lover. He was enraged and he…" Helene swallowed before continuing. "He killed Mum's lover. He would have killed Mum too, but she told him she was pregnant. The child wasn't Dad's. Dad called Rosalind, who helped him cover up the murder. The two of them kept Mum under house arrest until the child was born and then…"
"Then they killed her!" shouted Jonah. "Just like they killed my father."
Eva looked nauseous as she turned to Jonah. "Your father?" she asked. "He was…"
"They gave the child up for adoption," said Helene. "Rosalind had no idea it was Jonah but when she found out...she couldn't bear it, knowing you and Jonah…" Helene trailed off.
"Why wouldn't she just tell me?" asked Eva, looking repulsed. Rose didn't blame her; she had just found her husband was her half-brother.
"That's what I was trying to get her to do earlier," said Helene. "I found out that Jonah was the product of an affair that our mother had...but I didn't know…"
"She didn't know your father had killed my parents with Rosalind's help," snapped Jonah. "Rosalind let it slip in front of me and Helene. She told me...she told me she would not hesitate to make me disappear as well if I did not leave you." Jonah looked at Eva desperately who took a step back from him.
"We didn't plan it, Eva," said Helene. "I promise you. It's just...when I thought about it...I was just so angry. And I knew the lights would be going out. Jonah grabbed the knife and I...I didn't stop him."
Eva stumbled on her feet but held up a hand when Helene and Jonah tried to reach toward her. "Why did you blindfold her?" she asked, finally.
Helene and Jonah exchanged a look before Helene glanced away with a look of shame on her face. "When Jonah said he would get justice for his parents, Rosalind laughed in his face," confessed Helene. "She said Lady Justice was not blind because she was impartial…"
"It was because she could be blinded by money and power," spat Jonah.
"Jonah pretended he would agree and said they should dance while they discussed how he would leave you," said Helene. "I waited nearby, and when the lights went out…"
Eva stared at them for a few moments before turning to Inspector Lee. "That seemed like a confession to me, Inspector," she said.
Inspector Lee glanced at Euphoria and Rose, before nodding. "Right, of course," he said. "Mr Jonah Calverley, Ms Helene Clement, you are both under arrest for the murder of Lady Rosalind Clement. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned on something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence…"
"Eva," whispered Helene, but Eva turned her back and walked out without another glance at either of them as Inspector Lee summoned a few of the security guards to arrest Helene and Jonah.
"Suppose our work here is done," Euphoria whispered to Rose.
Rose didn't say anything, too horrified by how the events had played out to say anything. She left Euphoria behind and followed after Eva, but Eva had seemingly vanished into the crowd of guests in the next room, and Rose couldn't find her.
"Rose, what is going on?" asked River, as she hurried up to Rose. Rose just shook her head, and she must have looked awful, because River just gave her a hug and rubbed her back. "It's alright, whatever it is. It's alright."
Rose hugged her back gratefully but pulled away. "I'll be right back," she said, and returned to find Euphoria but he was nowhere to be seen. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around to see him.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her into a nearby powder room. "Inspector Lee will handle the rest."
"Won't it be weird if they remember you?" she asked.
"They won't remember me," he said. "Nor will they remember you, for that matter. Everyone here, including the killers and Eva will think it was Inspector Lee who solved this mystery."
Rose felt a spark of anger at his dismissive tone. "Is that it then? You just manipulated everyone to do what you wanted?"
Euphoria looked down at her with a smile. "And what was it that you did exactly when you got them all together back there and lit the spark?" he asked.
Rose reared back, as if slapped. "I didn't…"
"I am not blaming you," he said. "I am actually very impressed. This is why I like ephemerals. Even with no powers, you find ways to achieve what you want."
"I am not like you!" snapped Rose. "I am not!"
He sighed. "I don't see the problem, but fine, if that is what you want to believe," he said. "I must be going now, but I wanted to say goodbye to you." He chuckled at the still-angry look on her face. "This was fun, and I look forward to what else you do, Rose Tyler."
Rose stared at him, the ominous words making her shiver lightly. Euphoria smiled and it looked like he would disappear before her very eyes. "Wait," she said. Euphoria paused and looked at her questioningly. "Why did you say it?" she asked. "Why did you say I smelled like a wolf before?"
Euphoria smiled. "It's an old legend among my kind," he said. "They said that there was a being from another dimension, a powerful goddess, with the power of life and death within her being. They called her the Bad Wolf."
Rose shivered again, as she remembered Lia saying those words. "Who is the Bad Wolf?" she asked.
"It's just a legend," said Euphoria. "I have certainly never encountered the Bad Wolf, nor has any of my kind. It is just a story, Rose, nothing more."
"Then why would you say I smell like a wolf?" asked Rose, confused.
Euphoria fixed her with a look. "It was a joke," he said. "That's all."
Rose didn't believe him, and he looked like he knew it. "Do you know Lia? Aurelia," asked Rose, persistently.
"Aurelia?" he asked, and then smiled. "Ah."
Rose stared at him eagerly. He was the first one to have shown any signs of recognition when she had mentioned Lia.
"You have been holding out on me, Rose Tyler," he said. "If you've encountered Aurelia...well, now I am even more excited."
Before Rose could ask what he meant by that, Euphoria vanished into thin air, leaving Rose with more questions than ever.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the brief glimpse into River's POV :)