A/N: Here's another mostly-starlet-centric chapter that happened because reasons and it's probably just safe to say that these two are the closest when it comes to what it would have been like if Johan and Clara grew up as childhood friends.

Rough ages are as follows: Johan at 76, Daniel at 59, Clara at 57, Martha at 53, Lena at 26, Grant at 23, Sterling at 20, Oriana/Maglina at 18, and Seren at an old 12

Fifty-Eight: A Study in Turning Scarlet

Over a week had passed since the wedding of the Marchioness and her Earl Consort. Once the guests were all seen to and the march and earldom were back into sorts, the couple took leave for Jarlshall to spend some time alone before the winter truly began to set in. This left Kasterborous and Gallifrey to their previous lord and lady, who acclimated themselves once again to their positions as though they had never left. They conducted business in their daughter's stead in a manner that proved that should there ever be an issue with their issue, the lands were more than safe.

"It sounds like Painswick is living up to his name again," Lord Johan grumbled. It was breakfast as he and his wife were sitting with their youngest three as they began that particularly blustery day. He put down the letter in his hand and scowled through some tea. "The man is like a reverse-wine: he just gets worse with age."

"I don't know what you could possibly mean by that," Lady Clara quipped dully. She turned a page in the paper and ignored the ire her husband was building. "Oh, it looks like one of the women who I was presented with is finally getting her first grandchild …"

"Do the announcements say anything about counts disgracing themselves and others in front of His Highness's court?"

"Probably tomorrow's page three, below the line." Lady Clara blinked as the letter Lord Johan was reading found its way atop her paper. She bit into an apple piece and gave her husband an unamused glance. "Why are you and Daniel even writing one another?"

"You know that I long told him he was always able to find a sympathetic ear in me should the idiots in the capitol get on his nerves," he defended. He turned towards their children, still ruffled. "You were there—wasn't that what I said?"

"It was, Papa," Maglina replied cheerily. She was the only one seated with any sort of vigor to them, as she was much quicker to wake than anyone else in her family. "You reminded him and Lady Martha both before they left."

"Thank you starlet; at least someone's paying attention," Lord Johan nodded. He took the letter back and glanced at his sons, who were both quiet as they ate. "What about the two of you? You were there, weren't you?"

"Sending written complaints about other high-born individuals gets increasingly dangerous the farther it goes, Papa," Seren mentioned. His father grew quiet and began sourly stabbing the eggs on his plate, knowing he couldn't lecture the lad for being correct.

"The rest of the morning mail finally arrived," the butler announced as he walked into the room, unknowingly breaking the tension. He began to pass out the envelopes—mostly to Lord Johan, Lady Clara, and Maglina—as he ignored the situation he walked into, which he had learned throughout the years was the wiser and wisest move both. "Other than the overnight couriers, it seems as though the mail service is short-handed today."

"Do we know why?" Lady Clara wondered.

"I do not, but it is just today, it seems; I shall let Her Ladyship know should it not be back to normal by her return." The butler placed one final envelope next to Sterling's plate and bowed to the family. "Her Ladyship's personal mail shall be placed in her quarters, as per instructions, and her business correspondences are already headed towards her office."

"Excellent; thank you," Lord Johan nodded. He went back to breakfast, as did most the rest of his family, all except Sterling, who was staring at the envelope next to him.

It was Oriana's handwriting.

Taking a quick glance around the table, Sterling saw that none of the others were paying attention to him as he put his fork down and picked up the letter. He carefully opened it, unsure of what it was, going over the letter with quiet scrutiny. It was the first correspondence they'd had since he had admitted she was the moon in his sky and the prospective turns the letter could take terrified him.

'Sterling,' it read.

'I have given thought to what we talked about after Lena's wedding, and I want to try and see how things go. A trial period of sorts. I'm curious. Sad as it sounds, I can think of worse things we could do. Come to my parents' cottage after breakfast—bring your studies. We don't have to do much.

'You are one of my best friends. Remember that.

'Yours,

'Ori'

The young man tried not to blush as he read Oriana's words over, and over, and over a third time. His heart fluttered in excitement—she accepted. The words were ones that could be read in a completely different light should the letter be intercepted, yet he still knew what she meant, and it was nearly beyond his own vocabulary both in the common tongue and Old Gallifreyan. He put the letter back in its envelope and slid it into his jacket pocket for safekeeping.

"What was that?" Lord Johan noted. He took another forkful of eggs and shoved it in his mouth. "Your face looks odd."

"Johan, behave," Lady Clara scolded. She looked at their son, who was unable to remove his gaze from his breakfast. "Sterling, answer your father. What was in your letter?"

"Nothing of note," he lied. "It was Ori."

"Is she doing well in the cottage by herself? She should come for dinner tonight…"

"Actually, Mama, she was inviting me over to the cottage for later this morning."

"Oh, that's a lovely idea!" Maglina gasped. "She's getting around better now that her ankle's healed, and we all can take a walk along the grounds now that it's nice and quiet…!"

"No," Sterling said, cutting off his sister. He poked at his bacon, scowling. "She only invited me—we plan on studying."

"…and why can't I come?" Maglina huffed.

"You have no coursework anymore."

"Then am I invited?" Seren wondered, perking up.

"No," Lady Clara cut in. "We promised that you would work on your management skills while he was gone. Even if she had asked for you by name, there is too much work for you to do. Just because Sir Daniel and Lena are gone does not mean you get to loaf about."

The young teen groaned loudly and sunk in his chair, irritated that he could not take the day for something different. His protests diverted attention from his elder brother, who quietly finished his breakfast. He welcomed the distraction, as it allowed him to reflect on what had just been asked of him.

He was going on a date.

After a trip to the kitchens, gathering up some coursework, and giving himself a silent-though-encouraging talk in his mirror, Sterling went and began to make his way out towards the tutor's cottage. For all the times he had been there prior, he was incredibly nervous regarding the prospect of not only being in the house with Oriana after suggesting they court, but being alone with her, as her father was in the capitol on business and her mother already returned to her position on the front. It felt sneaky and dangerous how they were going about this, worrisome and risky, and there was only one word he knew that could really describe what everything rolled into as he walked across the lawns, his hair whipping around in absence of a hat:

It was exhilarating.

Once he got to the cottage, Sterling knocked on the door as his hand trembled. His stomach twisted and lurched while he waited, his emotions doing all sorts of new things, which all were made even worse as Oriana opened the door.

"Ah, you're a bit early," she smiled. He stepped into the cottage and let her close the door, keeping the autumn chill out. The two then paused for a moment, blushing, before she popped up on her toes and crooked her finger. He leaned down and she kissed his cheek. "That's what a couple does when they meet, correct?"

"Uh… yeah…" He went scarlet as he pecked her cheek and quickly pulled away, heart racing. "I brought some biscuits from the kitchen. They're chocolate with butterscotch bits…" He fumbled with his bag until Oriana placed her hands around his, stopping him.

"Let me," she said. She took the kerchief from the bag and brought them over to the table, where she set them while she pulled a plate from the cupboard. "You certainly are nervous."

"I—erm—yeah… I know…" He took off his boots and fixed his hair before following her into the kitchen. Sitting down at a chair, he noticed that everything appeared the same as it had always been, except now… now things felt different and it made his surroundings feel surreal.

"You look like you're staring a Cyberbatallion down alone."

"No—that is a completely different kind of scared," Sterling admitted.

"I thought you've been dreaming about this for ten years," she teased.

"Dreaming about something and it happening are two different things," he admitted. He watched as Oriana put together tea while he took the books and papers from his bag, laying them out on the table. "I was ready to not even get this far, remember?"

"I remember, and that's why you did get this far," she reminded him. She glanced his way, making brief eye contact before turning back to the kettle once again. Her heart began to pound unlike anything had made it before… it was terrifyingly addicting. "Do you want to know why I asked you now?"

"…because your ankle is now better?"

"…because I gave it some thought… I gave the concept of us a thought… and have been making sure that the thought has been a long one." She brought the teapot over to the table before fetching some mugs from the cupboard. "A lot more things are beginning to make sense now, or at least better sense than before, and I'm curious as to where this might go… if it can go anywhere."

"It means a lot to me," he replied quietly.

"…and you mean a lot to me." She poured tea before sitting down at the end of the table, making sure there was a corner between them. "I always knew you weren't a brother like Maggie was my sister, so we can see how this goes without worrying too much about it being weird."

"Let me know if anything is uncomfortable."

"I think you're the one who might need to announce that," she chuckled.

"Maybe." He took a sip of tea and opened one of his textbooks to a map of the night sky for that time of year—he was going to need to make his own charts before the season was up and he had to become familiar with the varying styles. "Maggie's upset that she couldn't come, you know."

"I'll take care of Maggie," she shrugged. "I just want to know what the kitchen staff did to these biscuits. They're wonderful."

"My bet is a collective career spanning hundreds of years." He took another bite of biscuit and froze mid-chew as he felt Oriana's foot go under the hem of his trouser leg and touch his stockinged leg. His face turned pink with blush, his embarrassment forcing him to swallow hard. One look at her face and he could tell she was amused. "Do you realize how that feels?"

"It looks like it's risking breaking you," she noted.

"That doesn't mean I want you to stop," Sterling admitted. He tried to not look as he fumblingly reached out to take her hand. She completed the action for him and his face was completely scarlet—he was nearly at his limit.

"Stars, I knew you would be better without an audience for this," Oriana laughed. "I think I like seeing you this way."

"Y-Yeah…?"

"Yeah—you are actually kind of cute when you're flustered and romantic." She watched as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently.

"You are a beauty beyond compare," he said in the ceremonial tongue. "Fair as legends and tempered in grace; I could search an eternity and not find one who is even half your equal. My night sky glitters brightly for you are in it."

At a loss for words, Oriana stared at Sterling, allowing herself an attempt at gauging the intensity of what was before her. It had been clear the previous week that he was enamored, and had been for far too long, yet to speak as such in the ceremonial tongue was an extra, subtle layer that she had not yet expected. She felt her heart skip a beat as she shifted their grip on one another, allowing her to kiss his hand in return.

"I do not know what I did that deserves being regarded so highly," she replied. Her Old Gallifreyan was unpracticed, thick, clumsy, and halting—she had little use for the spoken words in her normal life, despite remembering the sounds and writings of the language clearly.

"Maybe," he said, returning to the common tongue and taking his hand back, "we should do what we said we would, or else Maggie might barge in at the worst time."

"Oh yeah…" She reached for a book and opened it to where she had been taking notes the previous night, remembering that it was around there she had the idea to invite him over for studying. She tried to not let herself drift too far from her work as they drank tea, munched biscuits, and stole small touches underneath the table and glances from the corners of their eyes. They spent the better part of the following few hours as such, with Sterling only cleaning up his things when it was nearly time for lunch.

"I promised Mama and Papa I'd be back," he explained, packing up his things. "If I wasn't, then Maggie and Seren both would probably be sent to fetch me."

"That's probably the last thing we need after our first real date," she replied. He was almost done when she cleared her throat, getting his attention. "Um, before you go, can I ask a favor from you?"

"Anything," he swore.

"Don't agree yet—it's kind of big."

"That doesn't matter. What do you need?"

"I… erm…" Now it was her turn to blush and look away. "You know that book I was reading? The one from last week?"

He remembered. "The one you said was… graphic…?"

"Yes—there's a bit in there and I was curious about it… how it'd be if it was the two of us…"

"Is it…?"

"No, it's not one of those bits, though I wonder that too, but this one, I'd like to try it, please, if it's not much trouble. You know, while my parents are gone and Maggie's not watching."

Sterling was trembling in fright and he could see she was shaking almost as badly. "A-a-are you s-sure?"

She nodded silently and held out her hand, offering it without any pressure or pretense. He took it and she led him towards the wall, which she put her back towards before edging him closer.

"Please kiss me," she requested.

"Umm… why here…?"

"Kiss me against the wall, as in…" She bit the insides of her lips, embarrassed at what she was even asking. He instead moved in as close as he could, leaned down, and pressed his lips to the very back of her jaw.

"I borrowed Maggie's copy of the book," he murmured in her ear. "We aren't doing that whole bit, are we? What came after…?"

"No, we're not—just this."

"Thank the stars."

The two of them then stood like that, huddled together against the plaster wall in awkward silence, the only sounds they heard being their own heartbeats. As Sterling began to pull back, Oriana reached up and held his face, guiding him back to her for a more genuine kiss, their lips meeting chastely. They broke timidly, neither entirely certain what the other wanted.

"Nothing else from the book okay?" he requested. "Not for a long while yet."

"Any of the naughty things and I think you'd be so mortified you'd die."

"This is naughty."

"I thought you read it—things get plenty naughtier from here."

"I didn't say I borrowed it with her permission; couldn't get too far before I had to put it back."

"…good. Please don't borrow that book from her again. I'll loan it to you if you're really curious."

"Duly noted." He heard the far-off castle bells toll and he exhaled heavily, leaning forward so that the top of his head gently connected with the wall. "I really got to go; see you at dinner?"

"Plan on it."

Finally gathering up the nerves to move away, Sterling went back to the kitchen table and grabbed his bag of coursework. After one last kiss to the back of Oriana's hand, he put on his boots and left the cottage, braving the brisk autumn winds once again to head back to the castle. He nearly thought he had returned unnoticed when his mother caught him sneaking into the family's wing.

"Cutting it a bit close?" Lady Clara asked, her voice betraying her amusement. Sterling froze and turned towards her, knowing it was unwise to keep going and ignore her.

"I lost track of time; sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about—your father's still terrorizing serdars, your sister thinks she has the ability to stop him, and your brother… he's hiding somewhere… we still have a while until lunch, by any definition."

"Oh… okay…" His thoughts went back to Oriana in the cottage, standing so close and encouraging him to kiss her; he still could have spent more time there. He was so enveloped in the idea that his mother had to snap her fingers in front of his face in order to get his attention back.

"Someone's been distracted today," she said. "Do you have an important exam coming up?"

"No—no I don't, Mama," he replied, shaking his head. "I simply have a lot on my mind."

"What sort of things?"

"Normal stuff… or what I think is probably normal… I'm not sure." He scratched the back of his neck and head, unsure of how much he wanted to reveal just yet. "Just thinking about classes and what I want to do afterwards. It's a long ways yet, but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead, as well as extra plans in case the first one falls through."

"This is true," she agreed. "Oh, did you at least get your head out of the skies long enough to ask Oriana for dinner? She didn't get that open stubbornness around relying on us too often out of nowhere, you know."

"She's coming," he reported back. "She didn't even argue this time."

"Good—I'll send for you when lunch is closer to being ready," Lady Clara said. Sterling nodded and retreated to his bedchamber, where it was all he could do to drag himself to his bed and fall unceremoniously atop the quilt.

He was smitten and besotted, and there was no doubt about it now. There was no veneer that would be pulled back, no accidental discovery that he was about to stumble upon, and it made his heart race in joy. Provided Oriana found there was no lingering awkwardness, they could even court openly before the Violet Sky if she saw fit. He realized he was holding his breath and exhaled—it was bliss.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the family wing, Lady Clara was walking into the family study, being careful to note if her eldest son was following her. When it was clear that he was not, she sat at the desk and began to pen a quick letter

"Martha," she wrote.

"Our hunch seems as though it was correct—Sterling and Oriana just spent the morning together alone and now he is wandering around with that dreamy look on his face. You've seen the one. Though there is little doubt they did anything—we did a good job teaching them what behavior is demanded of their ranks—I expect them to ask our permission to court before the month is out.

"Johan does not yet know as I write this and Daniel's letter is being written next. I shall have them both ready to settle all bets when you return.

"Enjoy the Daleki scenery while you can,

"Clara"

Fold, envelope, seal, another letter penned and prepared to make a journey in the opposite direction, and Lady Clara left the study, heading down to lunch. She passed the letters to a footman who promised to get them in the outgoing mail so as to not tie up any special couriers before entering the dining room. There, as she expected, was her husband and daughter trading half-barbs, her younger son engrossed in a book, and her elder son staring out the window as though it was not utmost clear he was lovestruck.

Lady Clara knew she would not trade these days for anything.

A/N: Just a reminder for anyone who might've missed it, as it has been a while since I posted in this story, I have an AU to this AU involving a younger version of Johan (as well as more s9 stuff and characters) called A Crown of Camellias Red as Night, Red as Fire, Red as Blood. It's nice and long and a little bit different and is just a very lovely three-parter.